Simpletons is an 1873 oil painting by the British artist Luke Fildes. It presents a courting young couple on a rowing boat in the River Thames accompanied by a dog. The title was suggested by Kate Perugini, the daughter of Charles Dickens.Fildes p.22 The painting is also known by the alternative title The Sweet River.
It was intended as a follow-up to his success, Fair Quiet and Sweet Rest, the previous year, which depicted a similar idyllic scene on the Thames. The success of both paintings allowed him to focus on less commercial Realist scenes of ordinary life such as Applicants for Admission to a Casual Ward.Morris p.184 The picture was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1873 held at Burlington House in London. Two notable versions of the painting exist; one was auctioned by Christie's in 2016 while the other has been in the collection of the Museum of Wigan Life since 1955.
References
Bibliography Dakers, Caroline. The Holland Park Circle: Artists and Victorian Society. Yale University Press, 1999. Fildes, L.V. Luke Fildes, R.A.: A Victorian Painter. Joseph, 1968. Morris, Edward. Public Art Collections in North-west England: A History and Guide. Liverpool University Press, 2001. Ward, Chloe. Art and Action: Painting for Social Change in Victorian England. Oxford University Press, 2026.