Not a great painting, by an obscure artist, but very telling in its own way. Like a Dicken's story. Matches at the time were nick-named Lucifers and were highly explosive. This picture shows a street sweeper in the background and contrasts these young people with the London School Board poster. This referred to the passing of W. E. Forsters's Education Bill of 1870 (perhaps when it was painted) which allowed elementary schools to be formed from the rates (though they weren't entirely free until 1891).
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I can't find any details of the artist.
This is oil on canvas and seems to have been exhibited about 1900.
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