Francis Danby was born 222 years ago in Wexford, southern Ireland, on 16 November, 1793. 14 years later, in 1807, after his father’s unexpected early death, the family moved to Dublin, while Francis was still a school- boy. He began to practice drawing at the Royal Dublin Society’s school.

Moving to England, Danby developed his own style whilst studying at the Bristol School. It was here that he became good friends with George Cumberland, who was a close friend of William Blake and it has been suggested that Blake’s work may also have had some influence on Danby’s art, – in particular this piece – Disappointed Love,  from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (shown above) which was displayed at the Royal Academy in 1821.

When I saw this painting the words to an Everly Brothers song sang to me

“Some day when my cryin’s done
I’m gonna wear a smile and walk in the sun
I may be a fool but till then, darling
You’ll never see me complain
I’ll do my cryin’ in the rain”

[from Crying in the Rain] by Carole King, Howard Greenfield.

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