Children of Graham by William Hogarth

Children of Graham by William Hogarth

This is one of the best genre portraits of Hogarth with four children, Daniel Graham, who was a pharmacist at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. A genre portrait is considered characteristic of British painting and represents a group portrait, the characters of which are written in a domestic, relaxed atmosphere, they are engaged in conversation or some general business. The genre portrait is radically different from the front portrait, where the poser is surrounded by symbols indicating his origin or profession.

The Graham family was doing well. Daniel had his store in the aristocratic district of London, and for several decades the Graham remained court pharmacists, responsible, in particular, for the preparation of the fragrant oils used during the anointing and during the coronation. Son of Daniel – Richard, eventually take up his father’s place in the hospital Chelsea. Hogarth, who knew how to write children as very few of his contemporaries, deftly passed on children’s gestures. The oldest girl, Henrietta, holds the younger sister’s hand and tries to look like an adult, and the middle sister standing next to her, Anna Maria, tries to portray a secular lady.

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