The artist John Phillip went to Spain in 1851 for the sake of his health. There he not only recovered, but found a new source of inspiration in Spanish life and art. This view of his London studio - one of a series Ballantyne made depicting his contemporaries at work - makes clear why the artist became known as 'Spanish Phillip'. Studio props of onions, pots and a melon are piled on a table and Phillip is preparing his palette in readiness for returning to the canvas on his easel - 'Spanish Contrabandistas' - a painting of 1858. On the back wall is his copy of part of Las Meninas by Velásquez