Hugh Sleeping 1847

Elizabeth Murray produced this watercolor on paper, titled 'Hugh Sleeping,' sometime in the 19th century. It shows us a child, presumably Hugh, resting peacefully. This intimate glimpse into domestic life resonates with broader social trends of the Victorian era. The image embodies a sentimental idealization of childhood prevalent at the time. In Britain and the United States, children were seen as symbols of innocence and purity. This was reinforced by the rise of the middle class and their emphasis on family values. Murray, as a woman artist, had a particular insight into these themes. Her work gives us insight into the increasing importance of the domestic sphere. The politics of imagery surrounding childhood at the time were complex. While sentimental images proliferated, social realities such as child labor were often obscured. Art historians can shed light on these contradictions by looking at family archives, census data, and other documents to see how art reflects, or deflects from, the social conditions of its time.