Dimensions: support: 457 x 377 x 10 mm frame: 600 x 520 x 20 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Thomas Webster’s painting, "Late at School." It seems to capture a moment of childhood anxiety. What societal forces do you think are at play here? Curator: This piece offers a glimpse into 19th-century social dynamics. Consider the power structures in the classroom and at home, and how children may experience marginalization. Does Webster challenge or reinforce these power dynamics? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't thought about it in terms of power. Curator: Exactly. By looking at gender, class, and social expectations, we can uncover deeper meanings in what initially appears to be a simple, sentimental scene. Editor: Thanks, I will definitely look at it with a fresh perspective.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/webster-late-at-school-n00426
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Webster was a painter of narrative genre in the tradition of David Wilkie and William Mulready. Such pictures, generally modest in size and ostensibly representing scenes of everyday life, were popular with the public and acclaimed by many critics. Although contemporary commentaries tended to focus on their realism and painterly technique, these images also expose a preoccupation with the themes of education and discipline among the lower classes. When this picture was exhibited in 1835 a critic proclaimed it ‘a charming little composition; characteristic in every object, and painted with a true feeling of the art’. Gallery label, February 2016
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