"A Spring Nosegay" by Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1793-1872) (original) (raw)

A Spring Nosegay

Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1793-1872)

Undated

Oil on canvas

H 111.8 x W 86.4 cm

Nottingham City Museums & Galleries, accession no. NCM 1931-43

Bequeathed by Mr H. Bradley, via Messrs Browne Son & Jacobson, 1931

Downloaded via Art UK with thanks, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial licence (CC BY-NC). [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

See below for commentary.

Shown in a full-length portrait, this little girl has bare feet and a rather mischievous look. She holds up her tunic top, with her bunched-up smock too, showing off the bluebells and other flowers she has been gathering, and looks proud of her haul.

Closer view of the nosegay.

There is nothing posed or artificial here, and the child, although obviously poor, looks healthy and happy, epitomising the joys and promise of the season when bluebells are flowering. In a heartwarming touch, one or two of the bluebells are being held upside down! — Jacqueline Banerjee

Bibliography

A Spring Nosegay. Art UK. Web. 19 October 2024.

Created 19 October 2024