Our First Tiff

Macbeth's early work was generally rustic or pastoral in tone. 'Our First Tiff', with its upper middle-class social anecdote, was possibly the artist’s first move away from his original rustic style. In this painting a couple are having breakfast in an idyllic setting underneath a tree, the tone is warm and represents a beautiful summer’s morning. All is not well, however, as the title alludes the couple has had a disagreement and as the woman reaches to talk to the man, he is turning away from her preferring to read the newspaper.