Sculptuur, voorstellende een moeder met kinderen in een storm before 1866

This small sculpture of a mother and children in a storm was made anonymously from clay, at an unknown date. It is evocative of the vulnerability of the poor during a period of rapid industrial change. The image of a woman protecting her children against the elements could be seen as a comment on social inequality. The artist may be referencing a sense of growing poverty in London at the time. The sculpture invites viewers to reflect on the moral responsibility of society towards the poor. Is the sculpture a statement of social commentary, or is it simply appealing to viewers' sympathy? To fully understand this sculpture, a social historian might research workhouse conditions, child labour laws, and charitable institutions of the time. By investigating such resources, we gain a deeper appreciation of this sculpture as a social document, reflecting both the hardships of its time and the evolving role of art within it.