Playing with Baby 1880

Francis Davis Millet painted ‘Playing with Baby’ sometime in the late nineteenth century, capturing a scene of domestic leisure. At first glance, it's an intimate family moment. But look closer and you'll notice the women are wearing elegant dresses which place them in a particular social class. In fact, this genre of painting flourished in America at this time. The so-called ‘genteel tradition’ celebrated domesticity and family values within affluent white society. Millet was part of a circle of artists who promoted these ideals through their work. The scene is set in what was believed to be a colonial interior, a popular trend for the time. Artists took inspiration from the past to evoke feelings of nostalgia, national pride and conservative values. As art historians, we need to dig beneath the surface. By studying paintings like these alongside other social documents, we gain insight into the dominant values of the time and the social function of art.