Children 1834

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller’s 1834 painting "Children" depicts two young children, a boy and a girl, positioned against a dark red curtain backdrop. The boy, in a pink shirt and black sash, rests his arm around the girl, who wears a white blouse and blue skirt. The children's innocent gazes and close proximity suggest a tender familial bond. The painting's realism and emphasis on natural light are characteristic of Biedermeier art, a style popular in Austria during the early 19th century. This intimate portrait of childhood innocence is now housed in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.