Ere Care Begins, 1865

Thomas Faed RA (1826 - 1900)

RA Collection: Art

Thomas Faed was a Scottish artist who specialised in genre scenes based on Highland subjects. He was born in Kirkcudbrightshire and trained at the Trustees’ Academy in Edinburgh Although his early work was often taken from literary sources, the success of his paintings of Scottish rural life encouraged him both to continue with these themes and move to London, which he did in 1852. In Ere Care Begins Faed does not deal with any of the specific hardships of life in the Highlands, as in works like Home and Homeless (1856, National Gallery of Scotland). However by its title the artist hints that the newborn child might face many difficulties. In the early 19th century many crofters were the victims of the Highland Clearances, when families were evicted to allow large flocks of sheep to graze.