Two Children in Stuart Costume. Verso: Sketches of a Child’s Head 

Curator: Thomas Stothard's "Two Children in Stuart Costume" is an evocative sketch held in the Tate Collections. Editor: The composition, with its delicate lines, gives it a fleeting, dreamlike quality. Curator: Stothard lived during a time when historical revivalism was fashionable, so depicting children in Stuart-era garb speaks to a fascination with the past. Editor: Absolutely, and observe how the lines articulate form, particularly in the folds of the fabric and the children's gestures, conveying a sense of movement. It also underscores the artificiality of the scene. Curator: It is interesting how the artist uses costume to represent the past, and how notions of childhood are culturally constructed. Editor: Indeed. These swift lines, so open and honest, provide the art historical context but also let us see the artist’s unique, intimate method of making.