After moving to England in 1871, French-born artist James Tissot found ample inspiration in nautical settings. This print, based on a painting of the same name, depicts two women and a gentleman at a shipboard gala in Portsmouth. The coy expressions of the women suggest that there is an unspoken rivalry between these two prospective love interests. Tissot frequently explored love triangles in his work, a theme that allowed him to examine the subtle dynamics of flirtation and desire. Through his use of curved and diagonal lines, the artist emphasises the central trio’s unstable relationship to one another.