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Dimensions: measurements 32 by 47 in. alternate measurements 81.3 by 119.4 cm

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Provenance: Sale: London, May 4, 1889, lot 139
James B. Andrew, Esq., 1951
Peter Nahum, London

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Exhibited:

London, Royal Academy, 1888, no. 26

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Literature: H. Blackburn, Royal Academy Notes, 1888, p. 1, reproduced pl. 23
Royal Academy Illustrated, 1888, p. 16
Art Journal, 1888, p. 181
Punch, July 14, 1888, p. 16

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Notes: Julian Treuherz writes: "The Victorian city, with its crowds of people of all classes indiscriminately thrown together, became an acceptable subject for painters towards the end of the 1850s. In the panoramic canvases of W.P. Frith, G.E. Hicks and Arthur Boyd Houghton the poor made their appearance, but the central concern of these artists was to paint the crowd and its contrasts of dress and social type, of rich and poor, rather than to draw attention to social problems" (Hard Times, 1987, p. 29). Frith began his career as a portrait painter, using his family members as models, and later became best known for his ambitious multi-figure compositions featuring scenes from contemporary life. Social critique was a common theme in his work and perhaps encouraged by his good friend, the novelist Charles Dickens. It is believed that Frith worked on the idea of Poverty and Wealth some time before it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1888. A painting of the same title dated 1880, 13 by 22 inches, oil on canvas, was shown at the Frith Exhibition, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1951, no. 43, lent by James B. Andrew Esq.