Porter's subjects were primarily landscapes, portraits of family and friends, and intimate views of domestic interiors such as this which shows his wife, Anne, sitting somewhat pensively in a well-appointed livingroom. Muted tones predominate, enlivened by occasional passages of bright color. Typically, Porter places a grouping of familiar objects on a nearby tabletop, creating a still life within the larger context. It was the artist's desire in works such as this to reveal the beauty in ordinary life, an aspect of his art inspired by the French Nabis painters, Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vollard. He once noted, "When I paint, I think that what would satisfy me is to express what Bonnard said Renoir told him: 'Make everything more beautiful.'" Educated at Harvard, Porter was also a prolific poet and art critic, combining these pursuits as he sought to define his personal relationship with the world around him.