Circle of John Linnell, British 1792-1882- Landscape with figures; oil on canvas, 44.5 x 60 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: Linnell trained under Benjamin West, PRA (1738-1820) and John Varley (1778-1842) before continuing his studies at London’s Royal Academy. From the late 1840s he exclusively painted landscapes and, never venturing far from Surrey where he lived from 1851, was described by Constable as ‘a stay-at-home painter’. His works frequently explored scenes set in the English countryside, which he often, as indeed in the present work, juxtaposed against a dramatic and atmospheric sky. His wealth enabled him to patronise William Blake (1757-1827), and some of his early landscapes are touched with the visionary qualities of both Blake and Samuel Palmer (1805-1881), the latter of whom married Linnell's daughter in 1837. The present work certainly has aspects inmon with the romantic pastoral scenes of Palmer in particular.Held in a Victorian gildedposition swept and pierced Louis XV style frame. The gesso mouldings are subject to cracking and retouching with gold-coloured paint, on the front edge and cartouche corner ornaments. A small loss to slip lower left corner. Otherwise the frame is in good condition. The gilded slip is inscribed John Linnell. The salvage and rebate is covered with brown tape on the reverse. The wooden stretcher is a late 20th-Century replacement. The canvas has been relined in around the late 20th Century. The paint surface has been re-varnished in recent years. The paint has thinned in areas, mostly noticeable to the lower right corner. Under inspection with UV light there is evidence of retouching to areas in the sky including sections along the top edge, the top right corner, and a larger patch in the middle of the sky. There is a layer of varnish across the entire surface. Overall in very good fully restored condition.