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Thomas Gainsborough

Cottage Children (The Wood Gatherers), 1787

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About the Artwork

Cottage Children (The Wood Gatherers), 1787. Thomas Gainsborough. Oil on canvas. Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950.
Well-to-do art collectors of the eighteenth century enjoyed "fancy pictures" such as this, which provided an idealized and sentimental image of poor children. A visitor to Gainsborough’s studio described the three children shown here as "charming little objects [who] cannot be viewed without the sensations of tenderness and pleasure, and an interest for their humble fate." The model for the pensive boy seated with a bundle of kindling is believed to have been Jack Hill, a local boy whom Gainsborough’s daughter considered adopting.

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Met Custom Prints offers exclusive custom reproductions of artworks in The Met collection. Thanks to gallery-quality materials, we create prints as true to the original work as possible, using strict color management protocols and state-of-the-art printing technology.
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This is the only place you’ll find reproductions approved by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We are continually adding new artworks to our offering, so be sure to check back regularly as you build your own gallery. A variety of molding styles means our custom framed prints can match any type of decor.

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