Keep Still c. 1889

"Keep Still," likely dating to the late 19th century, was made by John George Brown using oil paint on canvas. Brown, known for his depictions of street children, here shows a boy pausing from his work as a shoe shiner to train his dog. Notice how the materials of the painting itself subtly highlight those of the scene. The slick surface of the oil paint mirrors the polished shoes the boy would have worked on, while also drawing attention to the grittier aspects of urban life: the worn shoes, the rough brick wall. The artist's technique is crucial here. Brown’s detailed rendering of the boy's worn clothes and the tools of his trade—brushes, polish, and a footrest—emphasizes the labor and class in which the boy is engaged. The dog, too, is a working animal, trained to perform tricks for the boy's benefit. By focusing on these elements, Brown elevates everyday life to the level of art, blurring the lines between high art and the realities of labor and poverty.