The Crossing Sweeper 1860 - 1870

"The Crossing Sweeper," painted by Seymour Joseph Guy in the late 19th century, depicts a young girl in a tattered dress, barefoot, and clutching a broom. The girl is seen drinking from a water fountain in a bustling London street. This Victorian era painting, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, captures a moment of both innocence and hardship, highlighting the plight of working-class children in a rapidly industrializing society. Guy's detailed brushwork and use of light bring the scene to life, evoking both the beauty and the grit of urban life in 19th-century London.