In William Wilkie Collin's book (op.cit.) he makes the following observation: 'Besides this picture, my father contributed two others, this year [1826], to the Royal Academy Exhibition: "Young Shrimp-catchers," - a small, delicate, sea-piece, painted for Sir Abraham Hume; and "Hop-pickers" - a sunny, Kentish scene, rich and brilliant in tone, the background filled with tall hop-poles, through which the light breaks quaintly from a small patch of blue sky - the foreground occupied by a highly-finished group of girls, engaged in their labours on a space of cleared ground. This picture was painted for the late Mr. Wells, of Redleaf.'
William Wells was an important patron of contemporary artists who, at his property, Redleaf in Kent, often played host to artists such as Goodall, Cooke, Grant, Frith, Landseer and Lee.