The Night School
Bundy was a historical and genre painter and water-colourist. He was primarily self-taught, although as a child he spent much time in the studio of Alfred Stevens (1817-75). He exhibited at both the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon. The Night School draws upon the Victorians' firm belief in the virtues of a good education. The Education Act was passed in 1870, designed to make education available to all. In reality only the more privileged, largely male, minority benefited from this. Many others, who missed out on schooling because their families were poor and required their children to earn a wage, were later encouraged to attend night-classes to catch up on their education. The young men here struggle to master the rudiments of knowledge. The emphasis would be on the 'three Rs' with the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress (a book which inspired many Victorian artists) used to underline the value of moral standards.
