Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 5 works by William Collins in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, William Collins's most famous painting is Ferdinand VII of Spain (1814), whose original hangs in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. The Artist's Mother (1814) and Landscape with Children at Play (1850) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 5 works by William Collins in our catalog, the gallery presents the 5 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
The oil on canvas work titled Ferdinand VII of Spain is a portrait executed by the English painter William Collins. Created in 1814, this painting depicts the figure of Ferdinand VII of Spain. The subject is also identified by the title Fernando VII, rey de España.
The 3 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by William Collins | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Museo del Prado |
Madrid | 1 | Ferdinand VII of Spain |
 National Gallery of Ireland |
Dublin City | 1 | The Artist's Mother |
 Walters Art Museum |
Baltimore | 1 | Landscape with Children at Play |
28 years of William Collins's art, 1814 to 1841: the gallery follows them year by year, through the most famous originals of each.
Pick a year to see its originals.
The oil on canvas work titled Ferdinand VII of Spain is a portrait executed by the English painter William Collins. Created in 1814, this painting depicts the figure of Ferdinand VII of Spain. The subject is also identified by the title Fernando VII, rey de España.
More from 1814
Ferdinand VII of Spain (1814), Museo del Prado, Madrid. The Artist's Mother (1814) and Landscape with Children at Play (1850) come next.
26 years old: Ferdinand VII of Spain dates from 1814, and William Collins was born in 1788.
Our catalog holds 5 works by William Collins, dated from 1814 to 1841.
Mostly in Museo del Prado (Madrid), National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin City) and Walters Art Museum (Baltimore). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1814: 2 of the 5 works on this page were made then, Ferdinand VII of Spain among them.
On this page, the earliest is Ferdinand VII of Spain (1814) and the latest Scenes from the caves of Ulysses at Sorrento (1841).
Born in London, United Kingdom, William Collins was an English landscape and genre painter, as well as an etcher and artist. The son of an Irish-born picture-dealer and writer, Collins demonstrated an early aptitude for art and was an informal pupil of George Morland. He entered the schools of the Royal Academy in 1807, exhibiting there for the first time that same year. His early success included winning a medal in the life school in 1809. By 1812, he achieved fame with his work The Sale of the Pet Lamb, which was engraved by S. W. Reynolds. His popularity grew through the support of various patrons, and he was elected a Royal Academician in 1820, presenting Young Anglers as his diploma picture.
Collins was known for his sentimental paintings of poor people enjoying nature. His repertoire included diverse subjects, from coastal scenes like Scene on the Coast of Norfolk to depictions of Italian life, such as Bay of Naples. He also produced works with children as the primary focus, including Children on a Mountain Top. His technical skill was noted by John Ruskin, who praised his rendering of light in a clear, lurid, rainy atmosphere. Throughout his career, he exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution, producing a vast body of work that includes:
Collins died of heart disease in London in 1847. He left behind two sons: the novelist William Wilkie Collins and the painter Charles Allston Collins.
