Florence Nightingale. Engraving by W. H. Simmons, 1863, after J. D. Luard, 1858.

The Sotheby's catalogue, loc. cit., gives the title as given in the Royal Academy catalogue as "Nearing home - some of our English land birds settling on the ship, told us we're nearly home", and also cites the Art journal, 1858 as follows: "The vessel is a home-bound steamer, on the deck of which lies a wounded officer, affectionately tended by his wife. His direction is directed to one of the birds, which is picking crumbs from a saucer". Sotheby's comments: "It seems likely that the female nurse in Luard's painting, although thought by the Art journal to represent the soldier's wife, is intended as a symbolic portrait of Nightingale or one of her nurses"