DAWE, Philip (c. 1740-1832) after George MORLAND (1763-1804)

Children Fishing; Children Gathering Black-Berries

London: Published by William Dickinson, Bond Street, Dec. 20, 1788. A pair of mezzotints with added hand colour. In excellent condition with the exception of being laid down. Imprints shaved away and margins expertly repaired. Image size: 18 1/4 x 13 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 19 5/8 x 14 1/2 inches.

A pair of beautiful mezzotints after Morland, the master of English genre painting.

One interesting aspect of the early Romantic Period is the discovery of children, not in terms of what they would become, but as they were. It was the beginning of the idealization of childhood, most evident in Romantic poetry. All the great English genre artists attempted to make scenes of childhood that captured particularly sense the wonder felt then and later lost. This group of quite small children succeeds in giving us the feeling of kinship a group of children can find as well as a sense of complete immersion in what they're doing George Morland was one of the most successful genre painters of his time, creating, during his industrious career, some of England's most cherished paintings. At an early age Morland displayed his artistic genius, he learned to paint at three and exhibited his first work at the Royal Academy at the mere age of ten. Morland was a prodigious painter, producing more than 4000 paintings during the entirety of his career, and sometimes painting two or three works in a day. His beautiful idealistic scenes were a favorite source of inspiration for contemporary engravers, and as many as 250 separate engravings were done of his paintings during his lifetime. Morland is considered a master of genre, his beautiful paintings depict with insightful subtlety the tender side of English country life.

Dawe, G. Morland p. 139.

Item #6591

Price: $1,500.00