The Last of England

This painting by Ford Madox Brown powerful image of emigrants leaving Britain in 1855. A young couple huddles together on a ship's deck, the white cliffs of Dover fading behind them. Their expressions convey the mixture of determination and sorrow faced by those leaving home forever.

Brown used himself and his wife as models, adding autobiographical intensity to the scene. The circular composition and fine detail show Pre-Raphaelite influence. Displayed at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.