Street Singer and Child

About the Artwork

John Opie's working-class roots made him sympathetic to the plight of the laborer. This painting demonstrates his interest in an honest portrayal of British street life, a sympathy rarely seen in the work of other British artists of his generation, who often presented lower classes more coldly. Much of Britain's population at this time was poor, but beggars and street vendors had a particularly low status. Street singers were often sellers of goods. By focusing the composition tightly on the woman and not including any wares, Opie makes the viewer recognize her humanity; moreover, he emphasizes the connection between mother and child. The singer is working to feed her baby, evoking sympathy from the viewer.

Inscriptions

Inscribed across book: "LOVE/CLOWN (N or R).

Exhibition history

The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941). The New Child: British Art and the Origins of Modern Childhood 1730-1830. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (organizer) (August 23-November 19, 1995); Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis, TN (December 10, 1995-February 4, 1996); Joslyn Art Museum (March 9-May 5, 1996).

Quick Overview

Artist: John Opie (British, 1761–1807)
Date: 1700s
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: Framed: 100 x 87.5 x 11 cm (39 3/8 x 34 7/16 x 4 5/16 in.); Unframed: 76.5 x 64.3 cm (30 1/8 x 25 5/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: European Painting and Sculpture
Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
Accession no.: 1916.1030

Provenance

Reverend Thomas Collyer of Gislingham, near Eye, Suffolk (sale: Christie's, London, July 26,1890, no. 181, to Smith); Lord Bateman, Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire (sale: Christie's, London, April 11, 1896, no. 115); [Blakeslee Galleries, New York]; R. Hall McCormick, Chicago; [Blakeslee Galleries, New York, 1900]; Mr. and Mrs. Jeptha H. Wade, Cleveland. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Wade, 1916.

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.