Sir David WilkieThe Village Holiday 1809-11

Scottish-born Wilkie became a star of the London art world, widely admired for his moralising or humorous narratives of everyday life.Here, Wilkie updates the ancient theme of the choice between virtue and vice – in this case drink. Outside a pub, a man hesitates between going home to his wife or staying to get drunk with his friends. The consequences of a wrong decision are shown by the collapsed drunk on the right; Wilkie said even his dog looked ashamed of him.Wilkie exhibited the picture in 1812. It was bought by the great collector, John Julius Angerstein.