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Vagabond Family [recto]

Benjamin West

1788

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Allegory

Dominant colour

Vagabond Family [recto] is a 1788 ink by Benjamin West, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Benjamin West
When & what style?: 1788 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

The painting features a man and two children, with the man standing upright and the children huddled together to his left. The man wears a hat and a long coat, while the children are dressed in simple attire. The background of the painting is a light blue color, with some darker blue brushstrokes visible. The man's facial expression is somber, and the children appear to be looking up at him with concern. The overall mood of the painting is one of seriousness and contemplation. This painting is a great example of Romanticism, a movement that emphasized emotion and the beauty of nature. To learn more about this style, look up the Romanticism movement.