Heacham Sunday School during the late Victorian period

In the fortnightly Picture This feature, Lynn Museum Newman curator Dayna Woolbright looks at pictures of interest…

This beautiful oil on canvas painting by Mary Gemmath shows Sunday School pupils being taught by Mary Anne Francis Black, a commanding figure dressed in black in the centre of the painting.

Although we don’t have a date for the artwork, the children’s dress suggests late Victorian. The class is taking place in the south west corner of Heacham Church and we can only speculate as to how much the children were paying attention, and how much their minds were wandering.