The Long Island Museum Presents Little Angels / Little Devils: William and Shepard Mount's Images of Children Ongoing Exhibit

In the mid-nineteenth century the artist brothers William Sidney Mount and Shepard Alonzo Mount often relied on children for the subject matter of their art. William often used children to illustrate political or social trends in his genre paintings; Shepard used youngsters extensively as models for his “fancy portraits.” The Mounts depicted children in a great variety of scenes and settings that went far beyond the stereotypical apple-cheeked cherubs of Victorian prints and greeting cards. Their paintings show children as schoolmates, playmates, pranksters, farmers and laborers, and sometimes in symbolic roles. Drawn from the museum’s extensive permanent collection, Little Angels / Little Devils can be enjoyed by all ages. Featuring more than 25 paintings and drawings by the Mount brothers, this exciting new exhibition explores the ways in which the artists used images of children in their work and why these images are still popular today.

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