Victorian History – told through 5 paintings

We tend to view Victorian history in various ways perhaps focussing on its stuffy, buttoned-up and hypocritical nature. Or possibly marvelling at the engineering advances which were made during the period. They inhabited a world in which rapid industrialization had changed the face of Britain and bought with it appalling working conditions, the horrors of the workhouse and also of our rise to a world power.

What can five paintings tell us about life in this period? Each week we will focus on a different picture and focus on topics such as, the world of work, poverty, home life, Britain as a world power and protest and reform to bring to life, the issues faced by the Victorians which paved the way for the modern world.