The Dyson Children
1787
Medium
Chalk, graphite and watercolor
Dimensions
21-1/4 x 17 in. (54 x 43.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950
Accession Number
50.145.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, artist John Downman captured the playful innocence of youth in *The Dyson Children* (1787), a drawing now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Drawings and Prints. intimate portrait depicts two young boys—likely brothers from the affluent Dyson family—engaged in the simple joy of kite-flying, their faces alight with delight amid open skies. Created during the Georgian era, when childhood began to be celebrated as a distinct phase of life, the work reflects the growing fascination among the upper classes with children's natural vitality, moving beyo...
About the Artist
John Downman · 1750–1824
John Downman (1750–1824) was born in Ruabon, near Wrexham, in North Wales. His artistic inclinations proved stronger than any legal ambitions his family held for him, and he began his formal training in Liverpool before enrolling in 1769 among the first intake of students at the newly established Royal Academy Schools in London. There he studied under Benjamin West. In 1773, Downman deepened his e...