Richard Redgrave, R.A. (1804-1896)

This work is a sketch for Redgrave's Diploma work which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1851. A stern patriarch banishes his daughter and her illegitimate child into a cold and snowy night as an incriminating letter lies on the floor. His distraught family weeps and tries to restrain him. Redgrave showed particular sympathy with the plight of women in distress. The Poor Teacher of 1840 depicts a governess, dressed in mourning, who contrasts sharply with her carefree charges. The Sempstress of 1844 demonstrates how, without men to support them, women were obliged to sew late into the night in order to earn enough to keep themselves meagerly fed and housed.