Black Monday, or the Departure for School c. 1790

John Jones's *Black Monday, or the Departure for School* is a hand-colored print that depicts a scene of a young boy, his siblings, and their mother saying goodbye to the boy as he heads off to school. This print exemplifies the "black Monday" trope often used in British literature, where the first Monday of each new school term marked the beginning of an arduous and unpleasant experience. The print shows a realistic, yet sentimental scene, capturing the emotions of both the child leaving home and the family left behind. This print is part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection.