Working at her studio in Townhead in Glasgow, Eardley chose to depict subjects which were typical of the working-class neighbourhood. In addition to her many works showing children from the area, Eardley also depicted run-down tenement buildings and sparsely furnished interiors. Such subject matter parallels that of the ‘Kitchen Sink School’ of realism, active in London at the same time. However, paintings such as A Stove also show the influence of Van Gogh, Vuillard and nineteenth century French realist painters, whose art Eardley would have been able to see at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery. Although devoid of people, this sombre representation of the corner of a kitchen suggests that its inhabitants lead a simple and meagre existence.