Mary Margaret (Pearce) Wood and Two of her Daughters

In this family portrait, Wheatley focuses attention on domestic affection. Mary Margaretta Wood attentively lowers her book at the approach of one of her daughters, who has just harvested flowers and fruit from a kitchen garden. A second portrait, also in the collection, shows the other half of the family. To connect the two paintings, the artist shows Ralph Winstanley Wood seated at an angle mirroring that of his wife, focusing attention on his son in the same manner that she focuses attention on her daughters.