“A Short Break from Work” Oil On Canvas / Board By John George Brown

Description

Frame Size: Width: 21″ x Hight: 29″

Frame Thickness: 3″

Picture Size: Width: 12.25″ x 24.25″

John George Brown earned a reputation as one of 19th-century America’s most skilled painters of children, especially entrepreneurial, cheerful street urchins who earned a pittance as boot blacks, newspaper vendors, etc. In some circles, he was dubbed the “Boot Black Raphael” because of the glowing faces of his child figures and his skill of execution. His paintings of these sympathy-arousing children were so popular in a Victorian era of increased industrialization that he became rich from painting sales as well as royalties from lithographs. Our oil is a classic image of a young boy taking time from his work routine to play, and be just a boy, with his toy.