Coming South was painted after Roberts’s return from four years’ study in Europe, including a number of years at the Royal Academy, London. The work’s light, bright palette owes more to his time in Spain, however, than to his studies made in England. Deck scenes such as this, with their complex arrangements of masts, rigging and funnels provided wonderful compositional opportunities for artists, as well as the chance for psychological observation, as seen here in the body language and facial expressions of the passengers. Coming South is also a celebration of the migrant experience, and as such is Roberts’s first exploration of one of the great themes of Australian life.