Treasures From the Archives

Author Jacob Abbott American Publisher Harper & Brothers American 1855

Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier French before 1903

Ryūryūkyo Shinsai Japanese 19th century

"The identity of this arrogant young man is unknown, but he must have belonged to Bronzino’s close circle of literary friends in Florence and probably holds a book of poetry. The artist was himself a poet, delighting as much in the beauty of language as he did in the witty and fanciful details of his paintings. Here, Bronzino employs the ancient Roman tradition of fantastical decorations known as grotesques in his rendering of heads on the table and chair, and in the almost hidden, mask-like face suggested in the folds of the youth’s breeches. While these monstrous faces contrast with the youth’s handsome looks, they may also imply that his carefully crafted appearance is similarly a kind of mask."

1850s

"While little known today, the English-born Guy was celebrated in his lifetime for his charming and technically accomplished genre paintings of childhood. In this work, the artist depicts his own children reading a version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." The young girl’s menacing bear-like shadow and the boys’ wide eyes suggest that they have reached the story’s frightening climax. In addition to the didactic message of the fairy tale—warning children not to wander from home—Guy presents his adolescent daughter on the verge of change, turning away from childhood games and assuming a more adult, maternal role."

Ryūryūkyo Shinsai Japanese 19th century