Forest Glade with Faggot Gatherers c. 1890

Henry Harewood Robinson created this photogravure print, Forest Glade with Faggot Gatherers, sometime in the late 19th century. What might the artist have wanted to express about rural life in Britain, and how would his audience have received this image? The print depicts a common scene in the British countryside during a time of great social change and economic uncertainty. The figures gathering wood suggest a view of the working class embedded in nature, which was a popular Romantic trope at the time. But we might also ask: who is this image for? Was it intended to inspire sympathy for the rural poor, or to reassure the urban middle class that traditional ways of life persisted despite industrialization? Understanding the social context of this image requires us to consider the relationship between urban and rural life, the rise of industrial capitalism, and the changing role of art in British society. This print, like all historical documents, requires careful interpretation.