The Sampler

Leonard Campbell Taylor was inspired to paint this scene after visiting the home of the collector WB Chamberlin in Sussex. The careful arrangement of Chamberlin's art collection in his drawing room appealed to Taylor as a painting subject. The composition and colouring of the painting are reminiscent of the 17th-century Dutch artist, Johanne Vermeer. Taylor later wrote a detailed account of the development of the painting which revealed his admiration for the Dutchman.