Cottage Children (The Wood Gatherers)
The Met
Artist: Thomas Gainsborough(British, Sudbury 1727–1788 London)
Date: 1787
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 58 1/8 x 47 3/8 in. (147.6 x 120.3 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
Three children, a girl holding a baby and a boy sitting, in a dark, stormy landscape
Detailed Description
Three children are depicted in a dark landscape. Dark blues, greens, and browns are prominent throughout the scene. The composition is vertical, with the figures occupying the central and lower portions of the canvas. In the center, a young girl with dark, curly hair stands, looking directly forward. She wears a light-colored, off-the-shoulder garment. She holds a fair-haired baby, dressed in a white top and a reddish-brown garment, in her arms. The baby looks towards the right, with one arm extended forward. The baby's feet are bare. To the lower left of the girl, a boy with reddish-brown hair sits on the ground, facing slightly right with his head angled downwards. He wears a dark green or brown tunic and trousers, and his feet are bare. He holds a bundle of sticks or reeds in his hands. The background features a sky with dark, swirling clouds, particularly prominent in the upper right. To the left, a gnarled, bare tree trunk rises, with sparse branches extending upwards. The landscape behind the children is dark and indistinct, with hints of green foliage and a lighter area in the distance on the right, possibly suggesting a body of water or a clearing under a slightly brighter sky. The ground beneath the children is dark and earthy, with some visible straw or dry grass. Light illuminates the children's faces, contrasting with the dark background.
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