The Baptism on the Hillside 1831

George Harvey made this oil sketch, called 'The Baptism on the Hillside', sometime in the 19th century. The work depicts a young child, presumably about to be baptized, being carried by a man, with a younger girl looking on. Harvey lived through a time of great social upheaval in the British Isles. Questions of faith, religious freedom, and social reform were central to many people’s lives. Baptism, for instance, was often a key moment of social inclusion and affirmation, especially for those outside the established church. The visual codes here – the child dressed in white, the tender expressions of the adults – speak to a sentimental view of innocence and the family. It prompts us to ask, was this an idealized image of an important social ritual? It could serve to promote a particular set of social values in a rapidly changing world. Understanding the artist's biography, the history of religious movements in the UK, and the institutions that promoted particular styles of art would provide a fuller understanding of this image.