The Railway Station

By 1866, the date of this etching, William Powell Frith had established a reputation for himself based on the phenomenal success of his panoramic visions of Victorian society. 'The Railway Station' followed the success of both 'Ramsgate Sands' and 'Derby Day' and, like its predecessors, focused on a cross-section of 19th century society.

This engraving by Francis Holl is based on an oil painting by William Powell Frith. The engraving was commissioned for the dealer Victor Louis Flatow. It depicts a flurry of activity at Paddington Railway station where the crowds have gathered near a train preparing to depart. As in Frith's other panoramas, the crowd reveals a variety of narratives. Husbands are shown saying goodbye to wives, parents to their children and a wedding party to their guests. On the far right, a criminal is being accosted by policeman, one of whom has a pair of handcuffs ready. A range of classes, ages and nationalities are depicted in Frith's picture, which also deals with the modernity of railways and their impact.

During an intense period of 'railway mania' in the mid 19th century, people's perceptions of time and distance altered dramatically. The introduction of railways made the country more accessible and brought diverse groups of people together. The impact of rail travel often featured in the literature of the period, including novels by Charles Dickens and short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, who used the revolution in transport as a means of creating an escape for criminals, such as the one depicted in this print.

Frith's 'The Railway Station' was displayed on its own at the Haymarket for maximum impact and, during its exhibition, visitors subscribed to engravings after the original. Frith's commission proved to be very lucrative and cemented his position as the painter of modern genre scenes.