Who painted Sickness and Health?

Sickness and Health was painted by Thomas Webster in 1843.

Where can I see Sickness and Health?

Sickness and Health is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Sickness and Health?

Sickness and Health is associated with Realism.

Artwork

Sickness and Health

Thomas Webster , 1843

Sickness and Health is an oil painting by the Realist artist Thomas Webster. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1843, *Sickness and Health* is an oil painting by British artist Thomas Webster. Executed in a realist manner, the work portrays a domestic gathering set outdoors, rendered with warm hues and gentle illumination that convey a sense of familial intimacy. The piece belongs to the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Subject & Meaning

The composition shows a multigenerational family occupying a garden space. A young girl twirls in the foreground while an elder woman cradles an infant on a chair. Nearby, a man leans against a wooden structure and another woman watches from a bench with a child. The scene suggests everyday health and vitality, juxtaposing the title’s reference to illness with a lively, communal atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Webster employs a realist approach, emphasizing accurate observation of figures and setting. The palette consists of warm earth tones, and soft lighting creates subtle modelling of forms. Layered glazing techniques enhance depth and the luminous quality of the skin and fabrics, while careful brushwork delineates textures such as the wooden fence and surrounding foliage.

History & Provenance

Thomas Webster, noted for genre scenes of schoolrooms and rural life, produced the painting during a period when his works were widely reproduced in prints. *Sickness and Health* entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings as part of its 19th‑century British art collection, where it remains on display as an example of mid‑Victorian domestic genre painting.

Artist & collection

Artist

Thomas Webster

Thomas Webster (10 March 1800 – 23 September 1886), was a British painter of genre scenes of school and village life, many of which became popular through prints. He lived for many years at the artists' colony at Cranbrook in Kent.