| The Departure to London | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Edward Bird |
| Year | 1815 |
| Type | Oil on panel, genre painting |
| Dimensions | 60.9 cm× 91.4 cm(24.0 in× 36.0 in) |
| Location | City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol |
The Departure to London is an 1815 genre painting by the British artist Edward Bird. [1] It shows a young man taking leave of his family before travelling to London to try and make his fortune. By the window a young boy eaglerly points at the arriving stage coach. Bird was a member of the Bristol School and was known for genre works of everyday life in Regency England. The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1815 at Somerset House. It was praised by the The New Monthly Magazine as "a happy expression of affectionate sentiment". [2]
It was auctioned at Christie's in 2000. [3] Today it is the collection of the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. [4]