Description
The figure stands leaning to his right side with his head slightly tilted to his left. His right hand is raised close to his mouth in the act of smoking a pipe. The painting displays a reasonable amount of detail in the upper part of the body against the broadly painted background.
John Phillip was a Scottish painter best known for his portrayals of Spanish life. In 1851, he visited Spain after he was advised to travel to southern Europe for his health. Thereafter he concentrated on Spanish subjects. The first of these, The Letter Writer, Seville, displayed the influence of Pre-Raphaelitism, a movement he had previously opposed, along with most other members of The Clique, despite his friendship with Millais, one of its leaders. He was so influenced by his travels that he advised other artists to do the same. Some artists, such as Edwin Long, took this advice and were similarly inspired.
In the late 1850s and 1860s, Phillip’s style became much broader and more painterly, in line with Millais’s late work.
