Child staring up at a man 1820 - 1866

Victor Adam's "Child Staring Up at a Man," an 1820-1866 drawing, depicts a small child in a striped shirt gazing up at an older man. The child is standing in a simple, unassuming posture, while the man stands tall and somewhat imposing, holding a hat in his hand. The artwork's realism and depiction of everyday life is characteristic of Adam's style, and the drawing's small size and octagonal shape lend an intimate, almost snapshot-like quality to the scene. This piece, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offers a glimpse into the social interactions and the innocence of childhood in 19th-century society.