This charming 19th-century oil painting by British artist Walter Heath Williams (fl.1841-1876) depicts an idyllic rural landscape with family.Here, amid the crisp glow of British summertime, a young lad launches a toy sailboat upon a shallow waterway. Excited, he crouches to guide the small vessel downriver. While mother watches from a rickety bridge and father looks on proudly. Beyond, via a five-bar gate, an open field stretches towards distant hills, which gently vanish into mist.Produced at a time of ever-advancing Victorian industry, Williams’ idyllic views reminisce about a simpler age of rural bliss. His rose-tinted visions celebrate the enduring love within families, the glory of nature and a slower, more considered, way of life.Signed in the lower right and held within a splendid scroll and foliate frame. Previously one of a pair sold through Phillips auction, London, in 1996 for £4,000.Medium: Oil on canvasOverall size: 31” x 23” / 79cm x 59cmYear of c...