Open Your Mouth and Shut Your Eyes

Mulready's Open Your Mouth and Shut Your Eyes (c. 1838) depicts a children's game of trust — the title describes the game's instructions as one child feeds another something surprising. The game's requirement of complete physical vulnerability — eyes shut, mouth open — creates a moment of absolute trust between the players, and Mulready's observation of the second child's anticipatory expression captures the specific quality of that suspension between trust and anxiety. His children's game paintings were among his most commercially successful productions, combining the appealing subject of childhood innocence with the psychological depth that distinguished his work from mere sentimental prettiness.

The figures are modeled with Mulready's characteristic precision, with particular attention to the expressions of anticipation and mischief. The warm, luminous palette and detailed costume rendering demonstrate his refined technique.