William CollinsEnglish, 1788–1847Rustic Civility
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Victoria and Albert Museum
RoomBritish Galleries, Room 122London, United Kingdom
On public display.
- Checked
- 7 days ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
Object Type
Oil paintings with sentimental scenes of children in the countryside became popular with collectors such as John Sheepshanks and the Rev. Chauncy Hare Townshend, as well as with the Victorian public in general.
People
William Collins trained at the Royal Academy and went on to become a popular painter of landscapes and rustic genre scenes. He travelled extensively in Britain and abroad, particularly in Italy, and these journeys are reflected in the subjects of his pictures. He was particularly fond of representing children. Here the combination of his fine technique and the agreeable nature of the subject in this painting appealed to a wide public, connoisseurs and amateurs alike.
This version is a replica of a painting exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1832, and bought by the 6th Duke of Devonshire. John Sheepshanks subsequently commissioned this smaller replica.
Read on
Subjects Depicted
The picture provides a simple puzzle for the viewer: for whom have the children opened the gate? The answer is given by the shadow of the horseman on the ground. Negotiating the opening of an old gate while remaining on horseback can be difficult, so the children are indeed displaying 'rustic civility' to the rider of the horse.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- FA.27[O]
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 7 days ago
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
