The Sick Child

J. Bond Francisco, The Sick Child, 1893, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum Purchase, 1991.9
Copied J. Bond Francisco, The Sick Child, 1893, oil on canvas, 32 x 48 in. (81.3 x 121.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum Purchase, 1991.9
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Artwork Details

Title
The Sick Child
Artist
Date
1893
Location
Dimensions
32 x 48 in. (81.3 x 121.8 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — female and child
  • Occupation — domestic — sewing
  • State of being — illness
  • Object — toy — doll
  • Architecture Interior — domestic — bedroom
  • Object — furniture — bed
Object Number
1991.9
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.9

Artwork Description

In The Sick Child the green walls and pale sheets emphasize the boy's flushed skin, and although his eyes are closed, he does not appear to rest comfortably. The silk clown dangling upside down by one leg from the boy's hand appears about to fall, as if the child himself has only a weak grip on life. J. Bond Francisco exhibited this painting at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and the image was widely reproduced and hung on the walls of doctors' offices and hospitals. (Broun, "Director's Choice: The Sick Child," SAAM Web site)

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