'And when did you last see your father?', 1878
by William Frederick Yeames
William Frederick Yeames was a member of a group of artists known as the St John’s
Wood Clique. He lived comfortably in a large house in St John’s Wood, London.
This group of artists painted historical and narrative paintings which were popular
with the public but were never critically acclaimed. The painting ‘And When
Did You Last See Your Father?’ was bought from the artist in 1878, one year
after the opening of the Walker Art Gallery.
This painting is a fictional event from the English Civil War (1642-1646). Yeames,
his fellow artists and many other Victorians held a rather romanticised view of
the war. This painting demonstrates the tendency to emphasise the moral convictions
and loyalty of the combatants at the expense of the more bloody and bitter elements
of warfare.
The painting shows a Royalist house under occupation by Parliamentarians. The young
boy is being interrogated as to the whereabouts of the master of the house. Behind
him, a soldier gently holds the boy's crying sister. To the left we can see the
children's mother. Her fear and anxiety at the boy's possible answer are written
in her face.
To the Victorians, children were often seen as ideals of truth and honesty. The
suspense in this work comes from the dilemma the boy now finds himself in: to tell
the truth and possibly endanger his father, or lie and maybe save him. Yeames was
inspired to paint this scene by the innocent and candid nature of his nephew who
lived with him. The boy also acted as a model for the painting.
Yeames does not appear to favour one side over the other, letting the drama of the
situation speak for itself. Although we are aware of the purpose of the soldiers'
visit to the house, he invests the scene with a sense of their 'moral duty'. The
Victorians believed that men in the Civil War fought out of a sense of conviction
and loyalty. This is shown by Yeames as, despite the situation, he depicts the men's
human qualities. The soldier in the left of the scene is seen comforting the little
girl, who appears aware of the significance of the question.
The work received favourable reviews when first exhibited. Its fame and popularity
continued to grow from then on. It has been widely reproduced, often in history
textbooks, as well as being the subject of a popular song in the 1890s, numerous
political cartoons and even a waxwork tableau at Madame Tussaud's in London.
