The Angerstein Children

This is one of the many portraits that Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830) painted for wealthy London families. It was commissioned by John Julius Angerstein, an exceptionally rich London banker as well as Lawrence’s friend, financial advisor, and patron.

Angerstein’s four grandchildren, two boys and two girls, are shown playing in a park.

On the right, somewhat raised above the others, stands the eldest boy ...

... holding a broom.

In the middle, the youngest boy clumsily attempts to wield a spade that is much too big…

... as one of his sisters holds on to him ...

... and the other gazes over at her brother.

The artfully constructed, self-contained composition stands entirely within the classical tradition of the 18th century.

The light-heartedness of the scene, however, and especially the warm, luminous colours – from the soft whites and vibrant reds to the dark background – reveal Lawrence as a true Romantic.

The apparent spontaneity of the artist’s works almost never betrays his slow, highly calculated working method.

In this picture, however, we find a few hints of the artist’s ongoing deliberations.

There used to be a bucket in the left foreground, which Lawrence ultimately painted over. The red curtain at the top, which as a traditional symbol of distinction was intended to indicate the representative function of this type of portrait, was also only added later.