Childhood Now

Painting Childhood: From Holbein to Freud

Children have always fascinated artists. This was a celebration of some of the most iconic paintings of children produced over the past 500 years.

Through stunning portraits, amusing genre scenes and touching ‘fancy pictures’, we will explore the creative process and the specific challenges posed by painting children: from how to capture the fleeting moments of youth, to how to encourage young subjects to sit still. The exhibition addresses themes including royal portraits, play and learning, and the fantasy and reality of children’s lives.

It concludes with a series of paintings, sketches and sculptures by Stanley Spencer, Louise Bourgeois, Jacob Epstein and Lucian Freud. These offer deeply personal insights into the place of family within an artist’s life, and the ongoing dialogue between biography and creativity.

Furthering the conversation initiated in Painting Childhood, this sister-exhibition brings together the works of three contemporary figurative painters – Chantal Joffe, Mark Fairnington and Matthew Krishanu.

Drawn to the subject of children, each of these British artists depict childhood in very different ways. Fierce, tender and highly personal, Chantal Joffe’s expressive paintings chart the growth of her daughter Esme from birth to adolescence, in relation to her own changing role as a mother. Mark Fairnington’s approach turns a scientific eye to the depiction of his twin sons with hyper-realistic precision, while Matthew Krishanu’s radiant paintings reveal memories of an exotic childhood in Bangladesh. Together, these three artists present fresh perspectives on what constitutes childhood today.

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