Random Article Summary #56

The series of three oil paintings titled 'Past and Present' were created by Augustus Egg in 1858 and are meant to be shown together as a triptych. The paintings were originally exhibited without a title but were accompanied by a fictitious diary entry that describes the tragic circumstances of a woman who has lost both parents and is seen wandering the streets without a place to stay. The quote highlights the downfall of the woman's life. The triptych of paintings tells the story of a Victorian family whose lives are ruined by the wife's adultery. The artist allows viewers to decide whether the woman should be judged or pitied. The paintings were influenced by William Holman Hunt's work and reflect the fear that divorce was becoming more accessible to the middle class. The paintings were given the title "Past and Present" and were displayed in a specific order to show a decline in the family's social status. The first painting depicts a Victorian home where the family's happiness is disrupted by the revelation of the wife's adultery. Many details in the painting symbolize this change, such as the fallen woman, the husband holding a letter, and the apple cut in two. The painting also includes the couple's two daughters playing with a house of cards, which is falling apart. The second painting depicts a sad scene set in a dimly lit and empty bedroom after the husband has passed away. The children, who have grown older, are shown in mourning attire, with the younger one crying on the lap of the elder. The bedroom is decorated with small portraits of the husband and wife. The third painting is a night scene that shows a fallen wife resting underneath the Adelphi Arches by the River Thames. She is holding a bundle of rags with the legs of a possible child sticking out. The walls are covered in posters for unhappy marriage plays and pleasure trips to Paris. This painting is similar to others that depict fallen women and were inspired by a poem called "The Bridge of Sighs".