Ford Madox Brown’s Work is one of the most popular pieces in our collection. In our Artist Files, under Ford Madox Brown, are several folders marked ‘Work’. Amongst the essays and photocopies of articles one contains a small four-page pamphlet, yellowed and brittle with age.
In it, Brown talks about his painting, bringing each character to life, with their own back stories and insights that only the artist can provide. So less from us, as we hand over to our guest blogger and let the artist speak for himself…
A Description of Ford Madox Brown’s Celebrated Picture “Work” by Ford Madox Brown pamphlet, privately published 1865
A DESCRIPTION
Ford Madox Brown’s
Celebrated picture
“WORK”
Now in possession of the executors of the
Late T.E. Flint, Esq., for whom it
was specially painted
Written and compiled by the artist himself.
Work, (1852-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery (source)
“THIS picture was begun in 1852 at Hampstead. The background, which represents the main street of that suburb, not far from the heath, was painted on the spot. At that time extensive excavations connected with the supply of water were going on in the neighbourhood. These suggested the composition of "Work" as it now exists, with the British excavator for a central group, as the outward and visible type of Work. Here are presented the young navvy in the pride of manly health and beauty; the strong fully-developed navvy who does his work and loves his beer; the selfish old bachelor navvy, stout of limb, and perhaps a trifle tough in those regions where compassion is said to reside; the navvy of strong animal nature, who, but that he was when young taught to work at useful work, might even now be working at the useless crank. Then Paddy with his larry and his pipe in his mouth.
Detail of mortar mixing navvy, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
The young navvy who occupies the place of hero in this group, and in the picture, stands on what is termed a landing-stage, a platform placed half-way down the trench; two men from beneath shovel the earth up to him, as he shovels it on to the pile outside.
Detail of central navvy, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
Next in value of significance to these is the chickweed seller, the ragged wretch who has never been taught to work; with his restless, gleaming eyes, he doubts and despairs of every one. But for a certain effeminate gentleness of disposition, and a love of nature, he might have been a burglar!
Detail chickweed seller, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
In the opposite corner of the picture, the brain workers are represented by Thomas Carlyle and the Rev. F. D. Maurice.
Detail Thomas Carlyle (left) and Reverend F. D. Maurice, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
Next to these, on the shaded bank, are different characters out of work, haymakers in quest of employment; a stoic from the Emerald Island, with hay stuffed in his hat to keep the draught out, and need for his stoicism just at present, being short of baccy, a young shoeless Irishman, with his wife, feeding their first-born with cold pap; an old sailor turned haymaker; and two young peasants in search of harvest work, reduced in strength possibly by fever or famine.
Detail of roadside unemployed, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
Behind the chickweed man (the Pariah, who never has learned to work) appear the rich, who have no need to work. The pastry-cook's tray, as symbol of superfluity, accompanies these. The elder and more serious of the two ladies devotes her energies to tract distributing. In front of her is the lady whose only business in life as yet is to dress and look beautiful. She is engaged watching her tiny greyhound in jacket as it runs through the lime.
Detail of rich woman and temperance pamphleteer and pastry cook, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
In the foreground is a group of ragged children. The baby's black ribbons and their extreme dilapidation indicate that they are motherless. The eldest girl, not more than ten years old, is very worn looking and thin; her frock, evidently the compassionate gift of some grown-up person, she has neither the art nor the means to adapt to her own diminutive proportions; she is fearfully untidy therefore, and her way of wrenching her brother's hair looks vixenish and against her. But then a germ or rudiment of good housewifery seems to pierce through her disordered envelope, for the younger ones are taken care of, and nestle to her as to a mother; the sunburnt baby is fat and well-to-do; it has even been put into poor mourning for mother. The other little one, though it sucks a piece of carrot in lieu of a sugar-plum, and is shoeless, seems healthy and happy, watching the workmen. The care of the two little ones is an anxious charge for the elder girl, and she has become a premature scold through having to manage the boy, who, though a good-natured-looking young Bohemian, is evidently the plague of her life. As he will not leave the workman's barrow, he gets his hair pulled.
Detail of children, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
The dog which accompanies them is of the same outcast sort as themselves. The having to do battle for his existence in a hard world has soured his temper, and he frequently fights, as by his torn ear you may know; but the children may do as they like with him, rugged democrat as he is, he is gentle to them, only he hates minions of aristocracy in red jackets. The old bachelor navvy's small valuable bull-pup also instinctively distrusts outlandish-looking dogs in jackets.
Detail of dogs, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
The couple on horseback in the middle distance consists of a gentleman, still young, and his daughter. He looks like a very rich man, possibly a colonel in the army, with a seat in Parliament. &c., &c.
Detail of couple on horseback, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
The man with the beer-tray, calling Beer ho! is a specimen of town energy contrasted with country thews and sinews. He is humpbacked, dwarfish, and in all matters of taste, vulgar as Birmingham can make him look in the 19th century. As a child he was probably starved, stunted with gin, and suffered to get run over. But energy has brought him through to be a prosperous beer man.
Detail of beer seller, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
Among the less important characters in the background, Bobus, "the sausage maker of Houndsditch," from PAST AND PRESENT, shows his intention of going in for the county of Middlesex, and, true to his old tactics, has hired all the idlers in the neighbourhood to carry his boards. These being one too many for the bearers, an old woman has volunteered to carry the one in excess.
Detail of sandwich board wearers, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
A policeman has caught an orange girl in the offence of resting her basket on a post, and himself administers justice in the shape of a push, that sends her fruit all over the road.
Detail of orange seller, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
On the wall are posters and bills; one of the "Boys' Home, 41, Eston Road," one of "The Working Men's College, Great Ormond Street," and a police bill offering £50 reward in a matter of highway robbery.
Detail of posters, Work, (1857-86) by Ford Madox Brown ©Manchester Art Gallery
The effect of hot July sunlight has been introduced in this picture as peculiarly fitted to display work in all its severity.”
Ford Madox Brown’s own description has given us a wealth of information about the painting, but there is much more to learn. You can explore the painting further by using our new Collections Search on the Manchester Art Gallery Website, where curator Hannah Williamson compares Brown’s original studies with the finished painting.
We also have on display, next to Work, a new acquisition and ‘companion piece’, Women’s Work, a Medley, 1861, by Florence Claxton, a satire on the working roles available to Victorian women at the time.
Further reading: