painting, oil-paint, oil, canvas
portrait
painting
oil-paint
oil
landscape
canvas
child
group-portraits
romanticism
15_18th-century
Dimensions 198.2 x 147.5 x 3.2 cm
Thomas Lawrence painted "Portrait of the Children of Lord George Cavendish" with oil on canvas. Lawrence was one of the leading portrait painters in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This painting offers a glimpse into the lives of the aristocracy, emphasizing the social expectations of the time. The children are presented in a natural setting, an emerging trend that allowed for more relaxed and intimate portrayals, yet their clothing signifies their social standing. Notice how gender is subtly performed. The boys are in commanding poses, while the girl is nestled safely between them. Lawrence’s portraits often reflected the sitter’s social status. "I don't believe I have ever met any one in my life who has placed me at ease so completely at first sight," he said about a sitter. This image invites us to consider the complex interplay between personal identity and social expectations during a period of significant social change.
Comments
By not forcing the usual role models onto Lord Cavendish’s children, Thomas Lawrence was departing from the traditional children’s portrait. Although the patron was a high-ranking aristocratic officer, the boys are not made to pose as future generals, nor the little girl as a cultivated upper-class lady. On the contrary, they are seen in the wild, in the midst of play. Even if the scene has been arranged, each child exhibits the behaviour befitting his or her age and temperament – quite in keeping with the educational concepts of the Enlightenment.
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