When the Pratts married, they removed themselves to a Newfoundland outport where Christopher's painting alone provided the means to raise a family. But as Mary's own talents became evident and she sought her own hours at the easel when not raising their four children, and as rumours of Christopher's affair with a young model spread, the Pratts' harmonious exterior slowly cracked, to scandal in Newfoundland and fascination across the country. A marriage ended, and gave way to a furious competition for dominance in Canadian art.