Picturing the PastFord Maddox Brown, Work This midcentury painting provides a rich and realistic visual representation of the new concepts of social class that had become common by 1850. (Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK/The Bridgeman Art Library)ANALYZING THE IMAGE Describe the different types of work shown. What different social classes are depicted, and what kinds of work and leisure are the members of the different social classes engaged in?CONNECTIONS What does this painting and its title suggest about the artist’s opinion of the work of common laborers?