William Sheehan was a gifted student of the Crawford School of Art, which, at that time, was located in the building which now houses the Crawford Art Gallery. He went on to study art in Dublin, and was then awarded a travel grant to visit Spain. That trip offered him an opportunity to see many important art works. However, financially it was not a success as the grant was insufficient. He returned early and died tragically a year later.

The Consultation was painted in 1917 during the First World War and just a year after the 1916 Irish uprising. This time frame may suggest that the seated man who is reflected in the mirror could be an army officer delivering news of a bereavement. Whatever news the note contains, the woman's solemn expression indicates that it is certainly unwelcome. We notice that the table is only set for one person, and the empty chair in the distance also suggests an absence. The woman's face is almost a silhouette and her clasped hands add to the air of resignation. Sheehan masterfully draws us into this scene, allowing us to suggest our own narrative.

The device of including further figures reflected in a mirror has a long tradition in art history. Here Sheehan uses it to distance the figures and to isolate and emphasise the woman's sadness. His use of dark tones and restrained colour also suggest that Sheehan may have studied at reproductions of paintings by Manet and Velazquez.