​"Caught in the Act"

An indoor scene set in a well-appointed, book-lined study or parlor. A young woman in a detailed, light-colored dress is seated at a small marble-topped table, her attention diverted from a copy of "LADIES' MAGAZINE" she is holding. She leans back with a look of surprise and dismay, her right hand raised in a clear gesture of refusal toward a young man who has leaned in close. The man, dressed in a waistcoat and bowtie, is leaning over the back of her chair, attempting to get near enough for a kiss, his expression determined. The contrast between his forwardness and her startled rejection creates a tense, dramatic moment, captured in a realistic and detailed manner.