This section addresses the seemingly disparate subjects of leisure and
defence in the context of the southern part of England.
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It lays particular emphasis on the coast as both a site of recreation
and tourism and as "the first line of defence" for Britain as a whole.
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Among the key works in this section are Chain Pier, Brighton by John
Constable and Pegwell Bay by William Dyce, both
reflecting the development of seaside resorts in the nineteenth century.
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The notion of the South as a rural idyll begins with the Arcadian visions
of artists such as Samuel Palmer and John Linnell,
inspired by the Kent landscape.
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The last part of the section concentrates on images representing the
southern coast under threat, works produced during periods of European
or global conflict.
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It features important paintings by William Holman Hunt,
Walter Sickert and Paul Nash, along
with propaganda posters and political caricatures which played on the
fear of invasion, and attempted to provoke nostalgic or patriotic responses
to the suggestion that this way of life was in danger of coming to an
end.
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