Augustus Egg

A carte-de-visite portrait of the British artist Augustus Leopold Egg (1816-1863), best known for his triptych Past and Present (1858), which depicts the breakup of a middle-class Victorian family.

In his work, Egg sought to combine popularity with moral and social activism, in line with the literary work of his friend Charles Dickens. Like other members of The Clique, he saw himself as a follower of Hogarth and his work often evinced an interest in moral themes. Egg was also an active organiser of exhibitions, being admired by fellow-artists for his dedication and fair mindedness. He was one of the organisers of the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition in 1857 and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1860.

Dickens described Egg as a ‘dear gentle little fellow’, who was ‘always sweet-tempered, humorous, conscientious, thoroughly good, and thoroughly beloved’.

Augustus Egg died in Algiers on 26 March 1863.

Photographed by Maull and Polyblank of London.