This painting, inspired by lines from John Milton's L'Allegro, was painted by Palmer shortly after his return from Italy in 1839. It was worked up from a detailed sepia drawing of the late Shoreham period. Through dawn breaking, with its multicoloured sky and the joyful sound of the skylark, Palmer suggests a new beginning. The shepherd opening the gate through which the lamb will pass into the broad landscape may symbolize the start of life.
More information
Title of artwork, date
The Rise of the Skylark, 1839
Date supported
1991
Medium and material
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30 x 24 cm
Gifted by
Sidney Leigh
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