Evelyn Dunbar was born on the 18th of December 1906 and studied art from an early age. She was already a successful painter and illustrator when she was made an Official British War Artist in April 1940. She was hired by the War Artists' Advisory Committee, who wanted to keep a detailed artistic record of the war. 

Unlike many other war artists, who drew scenes of battlefields and concentration camps, Evelyn focused on images of life on the home front. Her art captured the important work being done by civilians to help the war effort. This included pictures of the Women’s Land Army, who worked on farms, replacing the men that were away fighting. These paintings, including the one seen below, showed women hard at work, learning new skills. Although some tasks were dull and repetitive, the artist captured the energy and purpose of the people she was painting.