Ford Madox Brown - The Last of England (1855)
- Title: The Last of England (1855)
- Artist: Ford Madox Brown (1821–1893)
- Date: 1855
- Medium: Oil on panel
- Dimensions: Oval 83 x 75 cm
- Location: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK
- Photo credit: Google Arts & Culture on Wikimedia in 2013
The painting "The Last of England" depicts a middle-class couple and their baby leaving England for a new life in Australia.
The painting captures the moment the family leaves the receding white cliffs of Dover in the background. Their faces are filled with a mix of resignation, hope, and uncertainty. The man and woman are huddled under an umbrella, their expressions stony as they gaze ahead. Brown did not explicitly show the baby ; he suggests the baby's presence with the lump under the woman's shawl and the tiny hand gripping hers.
The painting is rich in n detail, from the cabbages hanging from the ship's rail to the bundle of books beside the couple, indicating their educated status. The composition also includes other passengers, such as a drunken man cursing his homeland and a family of greengrocers, adding depth to the narrative of emigration. The oval format and the use of perspective create a sense of immediacy and urgency, as if the viewer is looking through a telescope at the departing family. The oval format also enhances the sense of instability and the couple's precarious journey into the unknown.
The painting was created during a time of mass emigration from England, with over 350,000 people leaving the country in 1852 alone. Many were driven by economic hardship, while others, like the couple in the painting, sought better opportunities abroad. The work reflects the broader societal changes and personal struggles of the Victorian era, as well as the emotional toll of leaving one's homeland. The painting is mentioned in various history books, including "British History for Dummies".
"The Last of England" is representative of Pre-Raphaelite art, with its luminous colors, intricate detail, crisp figures, and emotional intensity.
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