In a Dutch interior, a young woman, Liotard’s wife, is modestly dressed and sits at a table, pouring coffee from a brass pot into a porcelain cup. A wicker mat, a footstool, a painted table, and a cupboard frame the scene, imbuing the scene with a sense of order and harmony. Coffee was a popular beverage in the 18th century, but some voices called for a boycott because it was produced by enslaved labour in the colonies. As a result, Liotard was publicly criticised for his promotion of coffee drinking, particularly in elite European circles.