The pensive and forlorn gazes of the widower and child heighten the mournful quality of this print, made after a painting of the same title currently in the possession of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Although the father holds his daughter aloft to reach a small fruit or nut, neither focus on the task at hand but rather stare vaguely into space, absorbed in their own thoughts, a subtle change from the painted version.
The somber subjects convey great depth and feeling, a contrast with how Tissot typically used the private garden setting for scenes of leisure.
Reference: Wentworth, 28; Abbeville, 93.
Loc: G.H. pp58b