Born 1851, Hughes was a well-known London-based historical genre painter, the nephew of the Pre-Raphaelite painter Arthur Hughes. Many of his themes were taken from literature, and he exhibited widely throughout his career in London and in Europe. Fairies were a popular theme at this time and were often inspired by Shakespeare. The enchanted girl in ‘Midsummer Eve’ is painted in brilliant colour with microscopic detail. This fantasy is full of sentiment with delicate drawing enhancing the tiny figures at her feet. ‘Weary Moon’ captures an imaginative and emotional intensity within the gentle fantasy of the moon as a resting woman. The title of ‘Night with her train of stars and her great gift of sleep’ comes from the poem ‘Echoes’ by W E Henley. The poppy petals symbolise death and the image can be interpreted as an allegory that would have eased sorrow in an age of high infant mortality. Died 1914.
