Tea
1872 Metropolitan Museum of Art
About this artwork
An elegant genre scene depicting a young woman preparing tea in an interior setting overlooking the Thames in London. The painting exemplifies Tissot's mastery of fabric textures, domestic detail, and light filtered through Venetian blinds.
Did you know?
James Tissot painted this work shortly after moving to London following the trauma of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. The painting captures the refined, somewhat aloof aesthetic of Victorian high society, while the inclusion of a steamship through the window subtly hints at the industrial bustle of the Thames riverfront during the era.
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Tea
James Tissot, 1872
