The paintings of British painter Edward Henry Handley-Read were much sought after at the time. The artist was born in London in 1870 and grew up in the heyday of the British Empire. England had numerous colonies and industry and technology developed at a rapid pace. This had a strong influence on the themes in Handley-Read's oeuvre. The artist studied at the Kensington and Westminster Schools of Art and the Royal Academy in London. He developed into a good impressionist and won the Creswick Prize for his paintings during his studies.