As the first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin was a singular figure. Although she commanded attention from the press—alluded to here by the newspaper she holds in front of her—Rankin expressed that she felt very much on her own. After her historic election, Rankin said “I am deeply conscious of the responsibility. . . . I will not only represent the women of Montana, but also the women of the country, and I have plenty of work cut out for me.” The preparatory drawing shows how she is depicted in the final painting—isolated and pensive, in an empty space—evoking the weight of responsibility that she felt as the first and only woman in Congress.