This type of picture shows Frith at his best in the observation of the trivia of daily life, and it was this ability which ensured his continued popularity almost until the end of his life.  By the time that Frith painted this picture he had abandoned his famously meticulous habit of including large numbers of figures in a small area in such pictures as Ramsgate Sands (Royal Collection) and The Railway Station (Egham, Royal Holloway College).  In this picture the figures occupy the centre of the composition and are painted with a strong sense of three dimensions.  Frith’s passion for detail is seen in the litter of engravings and books lower left, which show the collector’s interests and reveal his love of clutter rather than domestic order.  The maid looks on quizzically while the gentleman examines the dark canvas in front of him.

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