This Corner Don’t Pay 1875

"This Corner Don’t Pay" is a painting by American artist John George Brown, completed in 1875. The painting depicts a young boy, likely a street urchin, sitting dejectedly on a stoop, his hand on his head as he stares blankly ahead. The boy's worn clothing, the shoe polish tin and brush at his feet, and the somber mood of the scene suggest a life of poverty and hardship. Brown's works often focused on the lives of the working class and the poor, and this painting is a poignant example of his skill in capturing the pathos and vulnerability of his subjects. American Genre Painting, social commentary, realism.