Borrowdale, Cumberland, with Children Playing by the Banks of a Brook

Sunlight breaks through the clouds and bathes this idyllic Lake District scene in a warm glow. In the 19th century Cumbria was a popular tourist destination. Visitors were inspired by poets such as William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), who captured the scenery in their verses. There are two Lake District scenes in the gallery which illustrate the variety of the terrain. Collins focuses on the pastoral landscape of the lower valleys, whilst James Baker Pyne depicts the mountainous Haweswater, displayed nearby.

Collins was father of the author Wilkie Collins (1824-1889), who later wrote of the truthful simplicity in this particular painting. The left-hand side of the picture is framed by the dramatic slope of the sweeping hillside. Its summit is masked by rolling clouds, ominously heavy, which threaten the remaining patch of bright blue sky. A picturesque cottage stands at the foot of the hillside. Children enjoy the innocent delights of the trickling brook. The central, rickety wooden bridge joins the two banks, cementing the scene’s rustic charm.

Purchased by Thomas Holloway, 1881.