Artwork
Story of Golden Locks
Story of Golden Locks is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Seymour Joseph Guy. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work serves as a representation of youthful engagement with literature, capturing a candid moment of learning and companionship.
Painted in 1870, Seymour Joseph Guy's work presents a genre scene set within a domestic bedroom. The composition focuses on two children, a boy and a girl, engaged in the act of reading a book together. The visual iconography centers on childhood literacy and shared intimacy.
The depiction of siblings or peers absorbed in a text within a private sleeping quarter suggests themes of education, innocence, and the quiet moments of family life characteristic of nineteenth-century American domesticity. The work serves as a representation of youthful engagement with literature, capturing a candid moment of learning and companionship.
Technique & Style
Created in 1870, Story of Golden Locks is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work measures 86.4 cm in height and 71.1 cm in width. As a genre scene, the piece depicts an interior bedroom setting featuring a boy and a girl engaged in reading a book. The medium and scale are consistent with 19th-century American genre painting practices.
History & Provenance
Story of Golden Locks is an 1870 oil on canvas painting by American artist Seymour Joseph Guy. The work depicts a bedroom interior with two children reading. It is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, within the American Wing. Its dimensions measure 86.4 cm by 71.1 cm.
Overview
"Story of Golden Locks" is an oil on canvas by an American artist, depicting a quiet domestic scene. Characteristic of 19th-century genre painting, it captures an intimate moment of childhood, illuminated by lamplight within a cozy interior. The work exemplifies the artist's focus on everyday life and the subtle narratives found in private family settings.
Context
Throughout the 1800s, the artist specialized in capturing such serene, domestic vignettes of American life. His focus on children within cozy interiors, often absorbed in their own worlds, became a hallmark of his artistic output. These works offered viewers a glimpse into the private spheres of home and family, reflecting broader cultural interests in sentiment and childhood during the era.
Artist & collection
