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William Mulready , Irish, 1786-1863

Title

The Toy-seller

Date1857-1863

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions

112 x 142 cm

Credit LinePurchased, 1891

Object numberNGI.387

DescriptionThis painting was among the last works undertaken by Mulready, and was unfinished at his death. Though at least two other versions of the picture exist, its origins and the specific nature of its subject remain unclear. The young child’s alarm, his guardian’s concern, and the rather emotionless persistence of the pedlar lend the painting a rather unsettling tone. the subject may simply have been conceived to appeal to a Victorian audience attuned to Empire and fascinated by what they perceived as exotic. More practically, it provided Mulready with an opportunity to demonstrate his technical virtuosity. He manages a variety of flesh tones, for example, with exceptional skill, and demonstrates outstanding draughtsmanship, particularly in the sophisticated rendering of the figures’ hands. The seemingly incongruous woodland setting and rural background also allowed Mulready to show his abilities as a landscape painter.
Despite the fact that Mulready worked slowly and laboriously, his paintings possess a remarkable freshness. this is attributable largely to the richness of his palette and lightness of touch. Having moved to London with his family as a young boy, Mulready excelled as a student at the Royal Academy School and established himself in due course as a consummate exponent of various genres.

March 2016


ProvenanceChristie's, 28-30 April 1864, Executors' sale of Mulready's property, lot 506; bought by Agnew for Charles P. Matthews; purchased, Christie's, 6 June 1891, Charles P. Matthews sale, lot 94 Exhibition HistoryRoyal Academy of Arts, London, 1862

A Catalogue of the Pictures, Drawings, Sketches etc. of the late William Mulready, Esq., Science and Art Department, South Kensington Museum, London, 1864

Bicentenary Exhibition 1768-1968, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1968

William Mulready: 1786-1863, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1 July - 12 October 1986; National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; Ulster Museum, Belfast, Autumn/Winter 1986-1987

Black Victorians: Black People in British Art 1800-1900, Manchester City Art Gallery, 1 October 2005 - 6 January 2006; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 28 January - 1 April 2006

Entangled Pasts, 1768 - Now: Art, Colonialism and Change, Royal Academy of Art, 3 February 2024 - 28 April 2024
Label TextLeft unfinished at the artist’s death, this enigmatic painting typifies Mulready’s virtuosity in modelling figures, managing colour and capturing human expression. It also exemplifies the artist’s unusually keen eye for detail. The figure of the toyseller would have represented an exotic presence to many among Mulready’s Victorian audience. In 1792, Mulready had moved to London, where he became a highly successful book illustrator and painter.