In March 1882 Walter Langley finally committed to Newlyn, taking up residence in Pembroke Lodge, with its south facing orchards overlooking Mounts Bay. This position provided a beautiful backdrop for one of his best-known paintings, The Sunny South, now amongst the public's favourite works in the Penlee House Gallery & Museum collection. In the Orchard was painted a year earlier, 1884, and is a wonderful, free rendering of the same orchard overlooking Mounts Bay. This time with a young woman picking apples in the summer sunshine.  Her feet amongst the cabbages that we also see in The Sunny South.  

There's a notably light and delicate handling of the medium in this work and whilst there is evidence of scratching back to heighten the effect of sunlight on the branches and apples, there is none of the heavier body-colour that we see in many other Langley works. Langley's sensitivity towards the plight of women within the Newlyn fishing community, and the tragedy they sometimes faced, is well documented but this painting celebrates a gentler and altogether more joyous moment.