Easter Sunday 1940

Robert Austin made this print, Easter Sunday, sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. The figures are at prayer, but there is much about them that exceeds simple piety. The most striking aspect of this work is the contrast between the solemnity of religious observance and the markers of social class. The figures are dressed in their Sunday best, complete with overcoat and umbrella, yet they are confined to a small, austere space. The composition invites us to consider the relationship between religious faith and social status in Britain at this time. The Easter lilies, symbols of renewal and hope, are presented alongside the symbols of wealth and status. Is Austin suggesting that faith is a refuge from the material concerns of the world, or is he critiquing the way that religion can be co-opted by the wealthy? To understand this print more fully, we might consult church records, social histories of the period, and biographical information about the artist. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.