BENJAMIN WILLIAMS LEADER (BRITISH 1831-1923)THE OUTSKIRTS OF A FARMOil on canvasSigned and dated 1860 (lower left)73.5 x 100.5cm (28¾ x 39½ in.)Provenance:Private collection, Diana and Martin Barnes, OxfordshireLiterature:Ruth Wood, Benjamin Williams Leader RA, 1831-1923, His Life and Paintings, 1998, p. 33, pl. 12 and front coverThis picturesque rural scene was painted near Whittington, Worcestershire, which would be Leaders' home until he moved to Surrey in 1889. Leader's early work clearly bears the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites with their attention to fine detail. This work most likely depicts Church Farm in early summer around midday, the time and season the Pre-Raphaelites frequently opted for with their passion for visual clarity.