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Anthony van
Dyck
The Balbi Children c 1625-1627
This painting of three young aristocratic boys groomed for
adulthood stand in front of architectual marble steps and fluted columns symbolising
education, proper behaviour and an understanding of what the future holds for
them. |
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Anthony van Dyke
Maddalena Cattaneo 1623
Set against a back drop of marble steps, towering
pilaster and red velvet cushion and gold tassels
we are in no doubt that Maddalena comes from a very
aristocratic background. She stands stiff and uncomfortable
in her clothes not understanding why she is there,
but with the picture full of symbolism we can see
her destiny in continuing the dynastic line |
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Thomas Gainsborough
The Painter's Two Daughters c. 1758
Gainsborough freed from restraints imposed by commission, documents a father's loving look at his growing daughters |
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Angelica Kauffman
Henrietta Laura Pulteney c 1777
Henrietta Pulteney was reared in the manner of Jean
Jacques Rousseau who thought girls should have 'ample
opportunities for activites, races. and games in
the open air and in the garden.' Kauffman shows Henrietta
Pulteney outside, free of adults, but also portrays
her reminiscent of an Arcadian nymph, a popular style
during this period. |
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Francis Cotes
Lewis Cage ('The Young Cricketer') 1768
Against a dramatic sky Lewis Cage stands before the
viewer full of self-confidence, with one hand on
his hip and the other on his cricket bat he is mimicking
the pose of a military commander. Cotes picture was
painted six years after the publication of Rousseau's
'Emile' where he stressed the importance of the outdoor
life and games. |
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Joshua Reynolds
Miss Crewe c. 1775
The painting of Frances Crewe probably remained unfinished
owing to the little girl's death before it could
be completed. Reynold's was exceptional as a painter
of children which can be seen in this portrait of
the little girl who stands self-confidant smiling
down on the viewer in her fancy dress outfit of a
strawberry seller. |
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Thomas Gainsborough
Master John Truman-Villebois and his brother Henry
c. 1783
The architecture is very reminiscent of van Dyck
in his painting of The Balbi Children (above) but
Gainsborough has captured the boys not posing in
front of the columns but sitting and playing on the
steps. They have freed themselves from adult expectations
and are caught in a snap shot of time engrossed in
their game of cards. |
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Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Maria Christina de Bourbon-Naples
c. 1790
Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun was an extremely successful court painter to Marie Antoinette. Here she captures Maria Christina in a garden cutting roses. The sitter looks like she is sitting in an English garden, European artists were heavily influenced on the new way children were being portrayed in England. |
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Jens Juel
A Running Boy (Marcus Pauli Karenus Holst von Schmidten) 1802
A young boy is late for school on the outskirts of Copenhagen. A school where physical education played a central role and can be seen with sports equipment in the background, in accordance with the writings of John Locke. Jens Juel used the English tradition of portraiture to capture this young boy. |
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William Beechey
Portrait of Sir Francis Ford's Children giving a coin to a Begger Boy c. 1793
This artistic style was
known as 'fancy painting', a highly romanticised
idea of poverty. Here we have two children from
a privileged background giving a coin to a young
boy who has not been so lucky. John Locke emphasised
compasion as an essential moral value and this
can be seen in this painting. |
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Henry Raeburn
James and John Lee Allen (The Allen Brothers) c 1790
Henry Raeburn has caught these two young boys absorbed in their own world, free from the demands of adult life and enjoying their own magical world. |
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Thomas Lawrence
The Children of Lord George Cavendish 1790
The symmetrical composition with the two brothers either side their sister shows the different age groups but also their different personalities. From the seriousness of the older brother to the more childlike qualities of the younger brother and sister. |
