Crying Forfeits
Joshua Reynolds·1770
Historical Context
Crying Forfeits from 1770 at the Detroit Institute shows Reynolds painting a genre scene of children at play. These fancy pictures occupied an important place in his output, demonstrating his versatility beyond formal portraiture. Reynolds built his portraits using multiple glazed layers over a warm imprimatura, blending Rembrandt's tonal depth with Van Dyck's aristocratic elegance—though his experimental use of bitumen and carmine often caused irreversible darkening.
Technical Analysis
The genre scene captures childhood play with warm observation. Reynolds's handling creates a charming image of youthful spontaneity.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the children at play in a genre scene that occupied a significant part of Reynolds's output alongside formal portraiture
- ◆Look at the warm, natural handling of childhood spontaneity that Reynolds found more freely expressed in his fancy pictures
- ◆Observe the warm palette and gentle observation that give the children authentic rather than posed behavior
- ◆Find the loose, fluid brushwork suited to the informality of the subject
- ◆Notice this Detroit Institute work representing Reynolds's range beyond grand portraiture into domestic genre painting
See It In Person
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