Edith Hayllar's "Five o'clock tea" Spotlighted in Lines and Colors Feature

Edith Hayllar painted "Five o'clock tea" in oil on canvas at 18 by 14 inches (46 by 35 centimeters). The work dates to the career of Hayllar, who lived from 1860 to 1948. An image of the painting was sourced from a Christie's auction held in 2011, and the original is presumed to reside in a private collection. The Lines and Colors blog featured the painting in its "Eye Candy for Today" series, published October 22, 2026. The writer's attention settles first on a nearly silhouetted woman seated at the top of a short staircase, one arm wrapped around a curled-up dog, which the author guesses awaits her tea companion. Shadowed facial features set against a lighter ground create the initial pull, reinforced by white flowers on her hat standing out against darker foliage behind her. From there the composition leads the eye in a spiraling movement toward a table set with gleaming silver and Delft blue, placed against a bright spray of flowers. The visual path continues back to a courtyard gate and the inviting walkway stretching beyond it.