The artwork titled “Thomas and Joseph Pickford as Children” was created by the artist Joseph Wright in the year 1779. Executed in oil on canvas, this 122 x 147.3 cm portrait belongs to the Rococo and Romanticism art movements. It features a portrait genre and is presently housed in a private collection.
In this masterful oil painting, two young boys, Thomas and Joseph Pickford, are depicted in an intimate, outdoor setting. Both children engage with a dog, which serves as a focal point in their interaction and adds an element of warmth and affection to the scene. The background is rendered with a naturalistic landscape, characterized by lush foliage and soft, subdued lighting that evokes the styles associated with Rococo and Romanticism. The boys’ attire reflects the fashion of the late 18th century, with one wearing a green and orange outfit while the other is in a more subdued tone of yellow. The composition exudes a sense of innocence and quietude, enhanced by the gentle interplay of light and shadow, and demonstrates the artist’s skill in capturing both the physical likeness and the tender mood of the moment.