A Labour of Love, from "Illustrated News of the World"
March 24, 1860
Medium
Wood engraving
Dimensions
Image: 9 1/8 × 6 1/4 in. (23.1 × 15.8 cm) Sheet: 9 7/16 × 6 3/4 in. (24 × 17.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Donato Esposito, 2015
Accession Number
2015.653.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
**A Labour of Love**, a wood engraving by Thomas Francis Dicksee published in the *Illustrated News of the World* on March 24, 1860, captures the tender essence of Victorian domesticity. Dicksee, a prominent British artist known for his sentimental genre scenes, contributed to the era's booming illustrated press, where images brought news and stories to life for a wide audience. This print likely depicts an intimate moment involving women, children, and dogs—hallmarks of 19th-century narratives celebrating family bonds and everyday affection, evoking the title's theme of selfless care. Wood e...