William Atkinson Page Wells was born in Glasgow but went to London to study, at the Slade School of Art. He returned to Glasgow after his training, but only for a brief period. Financial pressure soon forced him to take up a post as a theatrical scene painter in Lancashire. He eventually settled in Devon where he painted Devonshire scenes of which this is a typical example with its vast sky and midday sun shining on a group of small figures set in a wide open space.
