Isabel McLaughlin was an early modernist painter, born in Oshawa, Ontario in 1903. McLaughlin attended the Ontario College of Art from 1925–1927, where she trained under Arthur Lismer. She was a founding member of Canadian Group of Painters (1933) and served as their first female president from 1939-1945. Later in life, McLaughlin received both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada. Her works are held in major collections, including the National Gallery of Canada and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Isabel McLaughlin studied under abstract expressionist Hans Hofmann in the 1940s. Hoffman’s teachings on form deeply influenced McLaughlin’s transition to abstraction and a more simplified style. In “Seated Figure” McLaughlin embraces a structural approach, as championed by Hoffman. Strongly angular, yet with a sense of spontaneity, “Seated Figure” is a bold and confident accomplishment.