Work-a-day England

Painted in the wake of celebrations for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, this ambitious picture shows Wyllie reflecting on the state of England with patriotic pride. The painting is a snapshot of labour, commerce, industry and empire and also a portrait of change, with the old and new world orders divided between the manual labourers in the foreground and the steam and smoke of the machine age beyond. Work-a-day England was painted on the river Medway, probably from life, a few years after Wyllie had moved to the area, and reflects his intimate knowledge of the local landscape and sailing craft.