He painted beautiful society ladies taking tea in conservatories, having picnics by ornamental pools, taking trips on boats and going to balls and concerts. Kathleen Newton was a model for many of his paintings. We can see he adored her totally and loved to paint not just her pretty face, but also to dwell on her dresses, pleats, ribbons, bows and hats. He had not only a great artistic talent, but also an eye for style and a feeling for chic. The second reason for his enduring popularity could be that although the people in his pictures are so elegant and pretty that they could have been lifeless models out of fashion magazines, they are yet very human.
Every picture tells a story.
The pictures of his Mrs Newton and her children exude an atmosphere of genuine domestic happiness. Some pictures project a mood of unmistakable tension and unease. His pretty heroines seem lonely and frustrated. They gaze at the spectator with stares full of suppressed restlesness and boredom. Although apparently engaged in harmless and innocent diversions, they seem to be trapped behind the bars of an invisible cage.