The Orphans, from "Illustrated London News"
A young Dutch boy, whose nationality is indicated by wooden clogs, comforts a younger sister near a grave above a coastal village. William Luson Thomas’s wood engraving appeared in the "Illustrated London News" in 1867, based on a drawing or painting that Kate Swift showed at the Society of Female Artists that year—the society had been founded in 1857 to bolster the prospects of women artists who could exhibit at the Royal Academy but were not admitted to membership, or allowed to study at the Academy Schools (Swift exhibited at the Society 1857–1901 and at the Academy 1861–80). Primarily a watercolorist, Swift focused on genre subjects. In 1869 she married the Dutch artist Christoffel Bisshop and moved to Scheveningen in the Netherlands, but continued to exhibit in London.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Orphans, from "Illustrated London News"
- Series/Portfolio: Illustrated London News
- Engraver: William Luson Thomas (British, London 1830–1900 Chertsey, Surrey)
- Artist: After Kate Swift (British, London 1834–1928 The Hague)
- Date: April 13, 1867
- Medium: Wood engraving
- Dimensions: Sheet: 9 9/16 × 7 13/16 in. (24.3 × 19.9 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Donato Esposito, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.614.7
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Multiple artists/makers
November 14, 1861
Multiple artists/makers
May 25, 1861
William Luson Thomas
Henry Nelson O'Neil
May 22, 1858
Multiple artists/makers
February 23, 1861
William Luson Thomas
William Henry Knight
January 4, 1862
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.