One of the best loved but also the least understood of British artists, Samuel Palmer (1805-1881) exhibited at the Royal Academy aged fourteen and produced many of the visionary landscapes for which he is most famous before reaching the age of thirty. Deeply influenced by the artist William Blake, his portrayals of pastoral life in the Kent village of Shoreham hint at a deeper, spiritual reality behind the activities and rituals of the rural community. Later works engage with the burning controversies of the day, including religion and the rise of mass culture.<BR>This long-overdue survey is the first to examine Palmer's career within the artistic and cultural context of his time. It examines his struggle for recognition and the role played by critics in determining how his work was received, as well as delving behind his apparently idyllic representation of Shoreham to explore the realities of rural life.