The blacksmith’s forge might seem an obvious subject for a painter interested in strong dramatic lighting, as some of Dadd’s early paintings show him to have been. He may even have tried it out before he was confined in Bethlem. Less obvious, is quite how the subject matter of this picture relates to its title. Just who is angry with whom? And why? In general the ‘Passions’ drawings represent their theme in a simple, straightforward way, sometimes to the point of banality: but several, like this one, become more baffling the more closely the meaning is sought.