Holyday

Holyday of 1876, now in the National Gallery, is one of Tissot's most lavish celebrations of English upper-class leisure, depicting elegantly dressed figures relaxing in a garden — probably Tissot's own garden at St John's Wood. The term 'holyday' (archaic spelling of holiday) signals a day given over entirely to pleasure, and the painting immerses the viewer in the sensory richness of that pleasure: soft grass, the shade of trees, beautiful women in brilliant summer dresses, the luxury of having nothing to do. The composition is unusual in that several of the figures are resting lying down or lounging in informal postures, an unusual degree of relaxation for Victorian figure painting. The National Gallery acquired the work as part of its representation of Victorian painting.

Oil on canvas, the painting is technically remarkable for its handling of sunlight and deep shadow in a summer garden: the dresses of the reclining women catch the light brilliantly while other areas fall into cool shade. The grass is painted with the same careful attention Tissot brings to fashion, each blade contributing to the sense of soft, yielding ground.