Caroline Bugler is intrigued by an exhibition that reveals the shadier side of women’s lives in Georgian England
THIS select group of paintings by Joseph Highmore (1692–1780) lifts the veil on the darker aspects of love and sex in Georgian London, starting with the pleasures of family life and friendship before moving swiftly onto seduction, assault and attempted infanticide.
Highmore had seen it all in his role as a governor of the Foundling Hospital, the children’s home established in 1739 by Thomas Coram, a kindly former navy captain, who was shocked by the sight of abandoned and suffering babies on London’s streets and wanted to help them and their desperate mothers. Most infants were admitted to his hospital not because they were orphans, but because they were born out of wedlock and their mothers had no means of supporting them.
Highmore was profoundly moved by the plight of women forced to surrender their children and much of his mature work explores their vulnerability and society’s attitudes towards them.
Curated by Jacqueline Riding, this is the first major exhibition of Highmore’s work for more than 50 years and it brings the artist out from the shadow of William Hogarth, his more famous contemporary and fellow Foundling governor. Highmore’s reputation declined after his death and his works were frequently misattributed to his better-known friend, but two superb conver sation pieces, Mr Oldham and his Guests and The Vigor Family, show how well he could convey a speaking likeness and observe the nuances of social interraction.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 22, 2017-Ausgabe von Country Life UK.
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