Alloa-born artist David Allan created drawings of ordinary people going about their daily lives in Edinburgh, including soldiers, coalmen, fishwives, sedan chair porters, firemen and officers of the city guard.  These works, known as Allan's 'Edinburgh Characters', are quite different from this detailed portrait of a specific person. 

'Remarkable, rare and extraordinary' Christopher Baker, director of European and Scottish art at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: "We are so pleased to bring this remarkable, rare and extraordinary watercolour into Scotland's national collection. 

"It is an incredibly striking and special work, one which we believe will be enjoyed by many and, we hope, lead to new research on its background and most importantly the story of the woman depicted."