William Lock the Younger Historical Interior Scene with Figures

An original 1784 watercolour painting, William Lock the Younger, Historical Interior Scene with Figures.

A beautifully drawn genre scene in brown ink and wash by William Lock the Younger of Norbury (1767–1847). William Lock or Locke was a talented draughtsman working in the circle of Henry Fuseli in Rome towards the end of the 18th century, known for his drawings of historical, mythological, biblical and Shakespearean subjects. Sir Horace Walpole was a great admirer of his work and Fuseli described the young Lock’s drawings as ‘unrivaled by any man of this day ... for invention, taste and spirit.’

The familial fireside scene in this drawing emanates warmth: the head of the household sits contentedly in his slippers facing the fire, surrounded by children reading and crawling, a mother with babe in arms, and a grown son dressed in full cavalier finery. The scene is brought to life by an intimate level of detail—the child under the chair, the mother kissing the baby's forehead, the exquisitely rendered expression on the face of the seated male—and yet there is also lightness and spontenaity to the scene, achieved in part by the expert use of white space for highlights and graduated brown wash shadowing.

On J Whatman watermarked wove paper.