Although it was first greeted with mixed criticism, this painting came to be one of Dicksee's best known and admired pictures. The scene is the parting of Romeo and Juliet after their wedding night and the last time they will see one another alive. As one critic pointed out, the painting perfectly conveys the tenderness and the passion of this poignant moment when Romeo says, "Farewell, farewell! one kiss, and I'll descend."