Frederick Morgan R.O.I., 1856-1927

"At the foot of a hill outside the village a group assemble to 'see the last' of a party of emigrants, waving their adieux, and disappearing as the sun goes down across the plain. The tone and harmony of this picture are very striking; the villagers as they stand together - the old pensioner parting with his son, the 'girl left behind' - every figure telling its story quietly and impressively." (Royal Academy Notes, 1875, p.49)

This picture deals with one of the great themes of Victorian social realist painting - Emigration. During the period 1840-1860, out of a population of 27 million, over 4 million people emigrated to start a new life in Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand. These departures were well represented by a number of Victorian painters, one of the most famous images being The Last of England by Ford Madox Brown. Henry Nelson O'Neil also concentrated on this theme in a number of works including The Last Farewell.

Morgan's early works dealt with social issues and amongst these were Homeless, Ragged and Tanned exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1874, which dealt with the plight of the homeless. He was influenced by the Poetic Realists in the 1860s and 1870s who recalled what J.F.Millet had achieved in France, to represent the rural types with an element of poetry and also with a new monumentality and significance.

This picture was well received when exhibited at the Royal Academy. "The Emigrant's Departure showing a sorrowing group of villagers at a hillside watching the departure of their friends, will commend itself to many for its quiet yet touching treatment". (Art Journal, 1875, p.252)