An Interesting Story

A gentleman in a vivid red coat bends eagerly over a map, deep into some tale about ships and faraway voyages. The two women flanking him tell a different story entirely. One gazes into the distance with a glazed look, while the other stifles a yawn, both plainly waiting for the monologue to wrap up. James Tissot titled this "An Interesting Story," which is his little wink at the viewer, because the only person finding it interesting is the man doing the talking.

Painted around 1872, this work comes from a stretch when Tissot delighted in showing well dressed people caught in ordinary moments. Born in France, he later settled in London, and his skill with texture shows everywhere here, from the delicate lace of the tablecloth to the soft white folds of the woman's dress. Through the windows behind them crowds a forest of ship masts, likely the Thames, a reminder of the English life Tissot had made his own.

Working in a realist style, Tissot rarely missed a chance to poke gentle fun at social habits and the manners of his day. The joke he tells is a timeless one, since almost everyone has been cornered by a talker who simply will not stop. Centuries later, the trapped expressions on those two faces still feel instantly familiar.