The artwork titled “The Lollipop” was created by the artist James Campbell in the year 1855. This artwork is a representation of the Romanticism movement and can further be classified within the genre painting category. The scene captured in this piece seems to depict a moment from everyday life, as characteristic of genre paintings, aiming to tell a story or convey a message stemming from the common experiences of individuals during the 19th century.
“The Lollipop” presents a candid scene set against a wooden fence, which serves as the backdrop for the interaction between three figures. The central character appears to be a young girl, garbed in a white dress with a shawl wrapped snugly around her shoulders, and a straw bonnet framing her youthful face. Standing in front of a wheelbarrow, she gazes directly outward, possibly making eye contact with the viewer, which adds an engaging dimension to the artwork.
To her side is an older gentleman, who is likely a street vendor given his presentation, with a tray of lollipops from which the piece derives its name. He is dressed in a long brown coat, wearing a high hat, and is engaged in conversation or transaction with the girl. Completing the trio is another figure who is turned away from the viewer, his attention directed toward the confections on the vendor’s tray.
The setting is seemingly urban, as indicated by the rooftops of buildings visible above the fence line in the background. The artist has rendered a subtle sense of depth, with the scene playing out in a narrow, bounded outdoor space. The color palette is subdued, with an emphasis on earthy tones that enhance the sense of the mundane in the depicted subject matter. The fidelity to the Romanticist style may not be immediately evident in the subject matter but can be inferred from the emotive potential of the scene and the detailed, lifelike quality of the figures and their environment.
