William Collins

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Collins achieved great success in his own lifetime for his rural and childhood genre subjects with their vision of pastoral contentment. The family here are preparing to go to church, the spire of which peeps through the trees in the distance. The grey pony waits patiently to take the elderly grandmother down the lane.
The traditional occupation of country folk on a Sunday was a theme attempted by several artists before Collins, including David Wilkie. However, Collins is notable for his emphasis on the steadfast uprightness and piety of English rural society; the engraving after the painting, published in 1837, was dedicated 'to all Christians'.

Gallery label, September 2004

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