A Parting by Marianne Stokes, née Preindlsberger (1855-1927). 1884. Oil on canvas. H 88.3 x W 133.3 cm. Collection: Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Accession no. WAG 2643, purchased in 1885. Downloaded from Art UK, where it is available for reproduction on a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial licence (CC BY-NC).
This touching picture shows a young child cradling the head of a calf, whose legs are tied and who is obviously destined for slaughter. Perhaps the calf was the child's special pet. Its loss, and its fate, are both keenly felt. A farm implement in the background has long, sharp spikes, a hint of the cruelty in store. This is one of Stokes's rural realist studies, with nothing beautiful or attractive in the background, except perhaps the detail of the patterned bowl lying on the straw-strewn ground. But the scene is instinct with emotion, and the artist's empathy for both parties in the situation is clear. — Jacqueline Banerjee
Bibliography
Childhood's Treasured. Art UK. Web. 22 June 2023.
Evans, Magdalen. Utmost Fidelity: The Painting Lives of Marianne and Adrian Stokes. Clifton, Bristol: Sansom, 2009.
Created 6 June 2023