A Boy with a Cat—Morning

Thomas Gainsborough British

Not on view


Well-to-do art collectors of the eighteenth century enjoyed "fancy pictures" such as this, which provided an idealized and sentimental image of poor children. The model for this particular work, Jack Hill, was a local boy whom Gainsborough’s daughter considered adopting. Although the child’s vulnerable situation may prompt an emotional response, Gainsborough’s interest in this material appears to have been largely aesthetic. Sir Joshua Reynolds praised Gainsborough after his death for the "interesting simplicity and elegance of his little ordinary beggar-children."

A Boy with a Cat—Morning, Thomas Gainsborough (British, Sudbury 1727–1788 London), Oil on canvas

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.