The first of these paintings, "The Bayswater Omnibus", shows passengers inside a horsedrawn omnibus. The artist's wife and daughter posed as the mother and young girl on the left.
Joy described the passengers, "In the farthest corner sits a poor, anxious mother of children, her foot propped on an untidy bundle; beside her, full of kindly thoughts about her, sits a fashionable young woman; next to her the City man, absorbed in his paper; whilst a little milliner, bandbox in hand, presses past the blue eyed, wholesome looking nurse in the doorway."
The artist of the second painting, "They Could Not Imagine" said:
"I was interested in how the artist had different classes of society together, and wondered how realistic this was. The painting provides so much information about how people lived, from fashion to travel and advertising. I transported these people into 21st century life. The ladies are fascinated by what they see and the businessman has already adapted with his laptop. The smaller characters have been affected by the recession, but the balloons represent hope. The fading reflection of St. Paul's shows Christianity as a traditional lifestyle disappearing, which I think is sad."
Both photographed in the Museum of London.
A framed print , with a brass plate giving the title and the artist's name, 'The Bayswater Omnibus' turned up at the 'dump', in Eastleigh, Hampshire, England.
ReplyDeleteI saw it one day, when taking garden waste, and just had to return the following day to buy it : what a bargain : £3 . I love the details. R.M.