Famous Portraits of Children

The Age of Innocence (1788),
Reynolds

Now that I've been blogging for over six years, many of my favorite artworks have appeared in multiple posts. I apologize if you've already read about these common subjects. My love of portraits began with Rembrandt, who famously painted 75 self-portraits. As I became an art docent in my daughter's elementary school classrooms, I was exposed to many more talented portraitists, including Sir Joshua Reynolds, Principal Painter to the King. This painting may be of the artist's great niece. It was featured in my November 2022 post entitled, Famous Artists & Paintings -- By Century.

Lady Caroline Howard (1778),
Reynolds

Ten years earlier, Reynolds painted the portrait of Lady Caroline Howard, which was used early on in the art docent program in which I taught. See Artists With July Birthdays. The background and position of the subject figures are very similar, although you can easily see their stations and style of dress are quite different.

National Gallery, London

In Portrait Artists, my post from March 2020, I included a sweet portrait by John Singer Sargent. Although I'm a huge fan of the Impressionists, always gravitating to Van Gogh in particular, Sargent is my favorite portrait artist. Like Rembrandt, I am pleasantly surprised when I encounter one of Sargent's works at an art museum. 

A Girl with a Watering Can
(1876), Renoir

In Pierre Auguste Renoir's painting of A Girl with a Watering Can, the subject green watering can seems to get lost among the foliage and the dark blue of the girl's dress. If it wasn't for the lace trim on the dress it might be invisible. He has divided the composition in half, with the green grass in the background and the light dirt path in the foreground, balancing the girl's face color.

Young Girl with Doll (1884), Morisot

Much creepier is this portrait by Berthe Morisot. The black dress and the unusual and complicated background make it even more so. I am confused by the background. It feels like the girl is outside in a garden, but then the 'window' in the top right corner seems to depict a distant scene. Considering the upholstered chair, now that far off lighter area could be a bed. The large pot is also a distraction for me.

Little Girl in a Blue Armchair (1878), Cassatt

Perhaps the best known painter of children (and mothers) is Mary Cassatt. While I appreciate the cyan blue color of the fabric in the four chairs, I am less pleased with the clothing and pose of the young child. She seems to be relaxing, focusing on the dog resting nearby, and (maybe) waiting to be dressed. Apparently, Edgar Degas helped Cassatt rework this and ten other entries for her debut exhibition in 1879.

Mother and Child (1914),
Cassatt

My favorite is this pastel painting with its soft coloring and subtle blue shading. I like the child's little pink feet emerging from the mother's supporting left arm. The background is comprised of many colors, reminding me of one you'd see in a photographer's studio.

The Railway (1873), Manet

Édouard Manet's painting of a well-dressed child waiting for a train features his favorite model, Victorine Meurent. You may recognize her from his famous Luncheon on the Grass, although here she is clothed in a rather drab blue suit and matching hat. The model may not actually be related to the child. She may be portraying a nanny, who curiously is also caring for the girl's puppy.

Buttercups and Daisies (1881),
Hugh Cameron

I much prefer the portrayal of youths in the 19th century to those depicted as miniature adults in the earlier 18th century. Although this subject is shown without adult figures, she is realistically proportioned. Perhaps being related to the subject allows Cameron to capture the sweet personality of the little red-haired girl.