Elizabeth Forbes was unique among the Newlyn artists in her ability to evoke the magical qualities of childhood. This can be seen in the present lot, which depicts a tender scene of two women and two children holding hands around their Christmas tree. Elizabeth Forbes captures the awe in the children’s eyes with sensitivity, whilst also displaying her sophisticated and bold use of color.
Stanhope Forbes, her husband, was a rigid adherent to social realism, but he appreciated her ability, describing her work in oil and watercolor as 'charming and beautiful paintings which combine such lovely imaginative qualities with almost unrivalled technical skill and artistic feeling' (see C. Fox, Stanhope Forbes and the Newlyn School, London, 1993, p. 49).