Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bull

Arthur Devis was a principal practitioner of the conversation piece, a form of small-scale group portraiture that placed sitters in interiors evoking modern elegance and taste. This example likely celebrates the marriage of Mrs. Mary (Ash) Bennet, a wealthy widow, to Richard Bull, a member of parliament and prominent collector of books and prints. Devis surrounded Mr. and Mrs. Bull with emblems of cosmopolitan refinement, such as the Chinese porcelain on the mantelpiece, the Italianate landscape paintings on the walls, and the Turkish carpet underfoot. At the same time, Mrs. Bull’s sewing basket and thimble associate her with traditional feminine virtues.