95:
84:
27:
190:'You,' said Egg, addressing the divine, 'you are a confederate, you know; my friend is not to be taken in.' 'Look here,' said the clergyman, 'don't you call names, and don't call me names, or I shall knock your d — d head off.' 'Will you?' said Egg, his courage rising as he saw two policemen approaching. 'Then I call the lot of you — the Quaker there, no more a Quaker than I am, and that fellow that thinks he looks like a farmer — you are a parcel of thieves!' 'So they are, sir,' said a meek-looking lad who joined us; 'they have cleaned me out.'
206:
243:
198:
behind, drinking champagne in their carriages, with the racecourse grandstand visible in the background. At the far right, a well-dressed man leans against the carriage of his young mistress. Echoing her position, a high-class prostitute in brown riding clothes is on the extreme left, one of many that could be seen each day riding in
300:
includes an anecdote (page 117) about the boy acrobat who sat as a model for Frith: "This youth had a kind of idea that sitting meant turning head over heels; and every now and then Mr. Frith had to stop him from actually turning a somersault among his casts and drapery." The Chums article also
182:
My first visit to Epsom was in the May of 1856 — Blink Bonnie's year. My first Derby had no interest for me as a race, but as giving me the opportunity of studying life and character it is ever to be gratefully remembered. Gambling-tents and thimble-rigging, prick in the garter and the three-card
197:
Further left, a young country man in smock is being held back by his woman to prevent him from joining in. In the centre, an acrobat is ready to perform with his son, but the attention of the thin young boy has been distracted by a lavish picnic banquet that is being laid out. Spectators throng
138:
The painting measures 40 inches (100 cm) by 88 inches (220 cm) and gives a satirical view of
Victorian society. It includes three main scenes, during the annual spectacle of the Derby, when large numbers of Londoners left town for the day to visit the races on
229:
Research by Dr Mary
Cowling indicates that Frith depicted individuals from nearly one hundred distinct social types from the finely graduated class system in Victorian England, each distinguished by its particular clothing and physical appearance. Frith believed in
224:
The races on Epsom Downs, the great
Saturnalia of British sport, bring to the surface all that is most characteristic of London life. In this picture we can discern its elements, its luxury, its wealth, its beauty and refinement, its hopeless
313:
exhibition in 1858, where it became so popular that a rail was needed to protect it from the thronging crowds (only the second time that a rail was installed at the Royal
Academy exhibition: the first was in 1822 for
285:
for another £1,500. The work took nearly two years to complete, with different arrangements tried out on two large sketches and a further visit to the racecourse before the large work was completed.
202:. To the right, a thief can be seen stealing a gold watch from a man with his hands in his pockets. Also visible are a group of musicians, a group of beggars, and street vendors selling their wares.
301:
relates how the young boy was impressed with the lavatory in Frith's house, exclaiming to his father: "Oh, father, such a beautiful place – all mahoginy (sic) and a chany (sic) basin to wash in."
288:
Frith used many live models for the painted figures, but also drew inspiration from photographs of Epsom racecourse and of groups of people. He hired an acrobat and his son from a pantomime in
183:
trick, had not then been stopped by the police. So convinced was I that I could find the pea under the thimble that I was on the point of backing my guess rather heavily, when I was stopped by
392:
460:
193:'Now move off; clear out of this!' said the police; and the gang walked away, the clergyman turning and extending his arms in the act of blessing me and Egg.
187:, whose interference was resented by a clerical-looking personage, in language much opposed to what would have been anticipated from one of his cloth.
162:
who is busy cheating them out of their money. To the right, one stands with his hands in his empty pockets, and shirt gaping, having gambled away his
143:, presenting a cross-section of society in a contemporary saturnalian revel. Earlier pictures of the Derby crowds were drawn by illustrators such as
320:
567:
723:
703:
718:
647:
388:
465:
336:. Frith was commissioned to paint a second version for James Gresham of Stretford in 1893–94, which has been held by
631:
178:, the painter-turned-memorialist leaves an account of his encounter with a thimble-rig team (operator and accomplices):
560:
498:
526:
492:
436:
70:
48:
281:, for a fee of £1,500. He also sold the right to sell copies of the painting, and one of his studies, to art dealer
41:
377:
119:
as Frith's "undisputed masterpiece" and also "arguably the definitive example of
Victorian modern-life genre."
94:
553:
126:
in London. As with many of Frith's works, he painted a second version many years later, which is now in the
83:
615:
234:, so each individual bears the features thought to be typical of his or her social position and character.
277:
and made an initial sketch. Frith was commissioned to paint a five- or six-foot canvas by the chemist
389:
William Powell Frith, R.A., (1819–1909) The Derby Day: the 'first study' for the celebrated painting.
144:
35:
698:
539:
713:
665:
639:
337:
140:
127:
52:
482:
508:
476:
315:
728:
708:
607:
576:
329:
278:
274:
184:
112:
8:
623:
470:
263:
247:
273:), Frith was keen to find another contemporary piece. He visited Epsom in May 1856 with
98:
Frith's much smaller "first study" for the painting, sold for £505,250 in
December 2011.
518:
477:
The Royal
Academy review: A guide to the exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, 1858
455:
296:
to take photographs of unusual groups of people. The 1896 edition of the boys' annual
670:
522:
488:
432:
373:
217:
199:
413:
409:
325:
591:
361:
293:
282:
269:
253:
484:
Victorian figurative painting: domestic life and the contemporary social scene
429:
Victorian
Figurative Painting: Domestic life and the contemporary social scene
692:
514:
369:
310:
297:
214:
116:
676:
333:
148:
123:
231:
171:
163:
155:
108:
205:
545:
289:
167:
159:
406:
My autobiography and reminiscences. Chapter XXI, "The Derby Day."
242:
130:. A much smaller but well-finished oil study was sold in 2011.
115:
over 15 months from 1856 to 1858. It has been described by
158:, rich city gentlemen in top hats surround the table of a
209:
Detail from the
Manchester version (lower right corner)
107:
is a large oil painting showing a panoramic view of
471:
Re-discovered
William Powell Frith sells at auction
542:(images from various Museums and image galleries)
408:(7th ed.). London: Richard Bentley and Son.
690:
510:William Powell Frith: painting the Victorian age
431:. Windsor: Andreas Papadakis. pp. 108–136.
321:Chelsea Pensioners reading the Waterloo Dispatch
561:
292:, and a jockey named Bundy, and commissioned
487:, Mary Cowling, Papadakis Publisher, 2000,
568:
554:
391:Christies, 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
154:On the left, near the private tent of the
648:A Private View at the Royal Academy, 1881
343:
332:in 1859 and but later transferred to the
71:Learn how and when to remove this message
575:
309:The painting was first exhibited at the
241:
204:
93:
82:
34:This article includes a list of general
426:
261:After the success of his earlier work,
691:
324:). The painting was bequeathed to the
549:
540:William Powell Frith at Artcyclopedia
403:
724:Collection of Manchester Art Gallery
20:
632:The Marriage of the Prince of Wales
461:Illustrated Companion, Tate Gallery
13:
355:
176:My Autobiography and Reminiscences
40:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
740:
704:Paintings by William Powell Frith
533:
719:Collection of the Tate galleries
111:, painted by the English artist
25:
16:Painting by William Powell Frith
521:; Yale University Press, 2006;
133:
420:
404:Frith, William Powell (1889).
397:
382:
1:
237:
616:Charles Dickens in His Study
473:, BBC News, 16 December 2011
304:
7:
122:The original version is in
10:
745:
658:
583:
517:; Guildhall Art Gallery,
414:2027/umn.31951p000223041
393:Partially archived here.
90:, 1856–58, Tate Gallery.
55:more precise citations.
466:Manchester Art Gallery
427:Cowling, Mary (2000).
344:References and sources
338:Manchester Art Gallery
258:
227:
210:
195:
141:Epsom Downs Racecourse
128:Manchester Art Gallery
99:
91:
245:
222:
208:
180:
97:
86:
608:The Crossing Sweeper
577:William Powell Frith
368:. 15th edn. London:
275:Augustus Leopold Egg
113:William Powell Frith
640:Salon d'Or, Homburg
624:The Railway Station
495:, pp. 108–136.
264:Life at the Seaside
248:Life at the Seaside
174:. In Frith's 1895,
519:Mercer Art Gallery
259:
211:
100:
92:
686:
685:
671:Jane Ellen Panton
479:, pp. 12–15.
218:John Evan Hodgson
215:Royal Academician
81:
80:
73:
736:
570:
563:
556:
547:
546:
499:A thousand words
443:
442:
424:
418:
417:
401:
395:
386:
380:
366:The Story of Art
359:
326:National Gallery
76:
69:
65:
62:
56:
51:this article by
42:inline citations
29:
28:
21:
744:
743:
739:
738:
737:
735:
734:
733:
689:
688:
687:
682:
654:
579:
574:
536:
447:
446:
439:
425:
421:
402:
398:
387:
383:
362:Gombrich, E .H.
360:
356:
346:
307:
267:(also known as
251:(also known as
240:
136:
77:
66:
60:
57:
47:Please help to
46:
30:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
742:
732:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
699:1858 paintings
684:
683:
681:
680:
674:
668:
662:
660:
656:
655:
653:
652:
644:
636:
628:
620:
612:
604:
596:
592:Ramsgate Sands
587:
585:
581:
580:
573:
572:
565:
558:
550:
544:
543:
535:
534:External links
532:
531:
530:
513:; Mark Bills,
506:
505:, 11 June 2011
496:
480:
474:
468:
463:
458:
452:
451:
445:
444:
437:
419:
396:
381:
353:
352:
351:
350:
345:
342:
306:
303:
294:Robert Howlett
283:Ernest Gambart
270:Ramsgate Sands
254:Ramsgate Sands
239:
236:
160:thimble-rigger
135:
132:
79:
78:
33:
31:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
741:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
714:Horses in art
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
696:
694:
678:
675:
672:
669:
667:
664:
663:
661:
657:
650:
649:
645:
642:
641:
637:
634:
633:
629:
626:
625:
621:
618:
617:
613:
610:
609:
605:
602:
601:
600:The Derby Day
597:
594:
593:
589:
588:
586:
582:
578:
571:
566:
564:
559:
557:
552:
551:
548:
541:
538:
537:
529:; p. 59.
528:
527:0-300-12190-3
524:
520:
516:
515:Vivien Knight
512:
511:
507:
504:
500:
497:
494:
493:1-901092-32-1
490:
486:
485:
481:
478:
475:
472:
469:
467:
464:
462:
459:
457:
454:
453:
449:
448:
440:
438:1-901092-32-1
434:
430:
423:
415:
411:
407:
400:
394:
390:
385:
379:
375:
371:
370:Phaidon Press
367:
363:
358:
354:
348:
347:
341:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
322:
317:
312:
311:Royal Academy
302:
299:
295:
291:
286:
284:
280:
276:
272:
271:
266:
265:
256:
255:
250:
249:
244:
235:
233:
226:
221:
219:
216:
207:
203:
201:
194:
191:
188:
186:
179:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
152:
150:
146:
142:
131:
129:
125:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
105:
104:The Derby Day
96:
89:
88:The Derby Day
85:
75:
72:
64:
54:
50:
44:
43:
37:
32:
23:
22:
19:
677:Walter Frith
646:
638:
630:
622:
614:
606:
599:
598:
590:
509:
503:The Guardian
502:
483:
456:Tate Gallery
428:
422:
405:
399:
384:
365:
357:
340:since 1896.
334:Tate Gallery
319:
316:David Wilkie
308:
287:
268:
262:
260:
252:
246:
228:
223:
212:
196:
192:
189:
181:
175:
153:
149:Dickie Doyle
137:
134:The painting
124:Tate Britain
121:
103:
102:
101:
87:
67:
58:
39:
18:
729:Epsom Derby
709:Dogs in art
603:(1856–1858)
595:(1851–1854)
232:physiognomy
172:shirt-studs
164:pocketwatch
156:Reform Club
53:introducing
693:Categories
673:(daughter)
666:The Clique
378:0714825840
372:, p. 411.
349:References
330:Jacob Bell
290:Drury Lane
279:Jacob Bell
238:Background
168:curb chain
145:John Leech
117:Christie's
61:April 2013
36:references
584:Paintings
305:Reception
200:Hyde Park
109:The Derby
170:and his
659:Related
450:Sources
364:(1989)
225:misery.
220:noted:
49:improve
651:(1883)
643:(1871)
635:(1865)
627:(1862)
619:(1859)
611:(1858)
525:
491:
435:
376:
166:, its
38:, but
679:(son)
298:Chums
523:ISBN
489:ISBN
433:ISBN
374:ISBN
213:The
410:hdl
328:by
318:'s
185:Egg
147:or
695::
501:,
151:.
569:e
562:t
555:v
441:.
416:.
412::
257:)
74:)
68:(
63:)
59:(
45:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
