A Spring Morning

Davis was one of the most popular Victorian painters. He exhibited more than a hundred pictures at the Royal Academy, and his works fetched high prices at auction during his lifetime. Like Thomas Sidney Cooper, his subject matter rarely varied - he was drawn to pastoral subjects in Scotland, Wales and Northern France, but in the 1860s, when this picture was painted, he was strongly influenced by Pre-Raphaelite observation, and detailed technique. The present example is remarkable for the depth of recession seen as the eye is led through to the distant hills. Other examples of his work can be seen in the Tate, and Manchester City Art Gallery.