The artist here draws a contrast between youth and old age, motherhood and widowhood, happiness and sorrow, impersonating the latter in the decrepit figure about to enter the boat and the bowed form of the young mother within it, and the former in the joyous child at the prow and the not less joyous mother near her.  Both parties are embarking, and the allegorical import is not foreign to that of the series of works in which the American painter, Cole, represented his "Voyage of Life."  The characters of the respective personage are pictured in a manner clear enough to the least scrutinizing; and if the grouping be somewhat crowded, so that rowing is likely to be difficult, the voyagers have the consolation of witnessing, meanwhile, one of the sunniest and most peaceful of English landscapes. Mr. Gregory, the artist, who had the satisfaction of seeing his picture of " Weal and Woe" bought by the Corporation of Liverpool, has given us some purely typical English faces and some purely typical English cottages, and, in the selection of so allegorical a subject, has catered to the tastes of thousands of spectators at the Royal Academy exhibitions.  It would be impossible for a French painter, to-day, to choose such a theme; if desirous of treating a kindred subject at all, he would be more likely to include it within the compass of two single figures, or at least to dwell upon the realistic aspects with more fidelity.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, etchings, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, lithographs, ect. are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated in the auction, thus giving the buyer an idea of it's age.