John Frederick Peto frequently painted objects that belonged to him. These “old companions” suggest human presence through their wear and use. Here, a pipe propped haphazardly looks as if it has recently been set aside, a quill pen in an ink stand waits at the ready, and tattered books indicate the fervent attention of a reader. The act of reading cultivated the inner life and imagination, a psychological retreat in response to the increasingly chaotic urban sphere.