The doctor
1916
Imagine the universal anxiety of a doctor's waiting room, but painted with the grace of a Renaissance fresco. A somber queue of patients—including a weary old man leaning on a cane and a mother clutching a baby—waits patiently against a pale stone wall as autumn leaves drift down from a bare tree. On the right, the mood shifts to hope as a white-bearded doctor steps out to warmly welcome a young girl, his hand raised in a gentle, reassuring greeting. This piece is part of a mural series called 'Acts of Mercy,' commissioned for a London hospital during World War I to bring a sense of calm and dignity to the healing process.