Better Times Ahead (1854)

"Better Times Ahead" (1854) is a work by John Simmons. Historical background, 1854: The first half of the nineteenth century moved from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, which placed emotion, nature, and the sublime at the centre of painting. Landscape gained new prestige through groups such as the Barbizon painters in France and the Hudson River School in the United States, and by mid-century Realism turned to ordinary people and everyday labour. The catalogue places it in Figurative. The format is portrait. Figurative in brief: Figurative art depicts people and recognisable scenes, and it has been central to European painting since antiquity. Over the centuries, painters have used the figure to express social standing, narrative, and emotion.

On onlly.art "Better Times Ahead" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

English, 1823–1876

If you like the visual language of John Simmons, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.