Boy in an Eton Collar
n.d.
Medium
Watercolor, with graphite, selectively varnished, on cream wove paper
Dimensions
27.6 × 20.2 cm (10 7/8 × 8 in.)
Classification
watercolor
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
39103
Art Historical Context
Richard Dighton, a British artist celebrated for his delicate watercolor portraits and caricatures in the early nineteenth century, created this intimate study of a young boy. The title “Boy in an Eton Collar” evokes the formal attire associated with Britain’s elite public schools, suggesting a sitter from a well-to-do family. Though undated, the work captures the refined social world of Victorian and Edwardian childhood through its quiet, attentive gaze. Measuring just 27.6 × 20.2 cm, the portrait demonstrates Dighton’s mastery of watercolor on cream wove paper. He combined fluid washes with...