The Portraits

I agree, for me Jon and Anne were the weakest and plain characters in the novel; and sadly more so in the film. As if no energy, no time, and no colour left for them on the writer/director's palette.

In comparison, I quite enjoyed reading about the character of the Soams's second wife in the Galsworthy's novel; he wrote about her well. But in this film this Annette's just not an interesting person to watch. Not the wife such a wealthy and successful man as Soams would be proud to show off.

I just purchased the original BBC adaptation and have not reached this part yet...in fact I'd forgotten it!

I like your analysis, on the whole, and it seems that they had the painter reflect more of their personalities than he does in the novel, which just hints at them. I don't see Fleur as quite the selfish being that others often do, but more an empty, tragic shell (kind of like Soames!), searching for her true love eternally and never reaching him.

This part was spot on:

as if she were standing over a grave. The grave of Jon's strong emotions. It's as though he went to her as a refuge from them rather than suffer the passions of his parents and what that meant in their lives.