ARTWORKS

A Lady teaching a Child to read, and a Child playing with a Dog ('La Maîtresse d'école')

Caspar Netscher (1639–1684)

The National Gallery, London

A Lady teaching a Child to read, and a Child playing with a Dog ('La Maîtresse d'école')

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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At first glance, Caspar Netscher shows two delightful children, both busy. The girl is learning to read while the boy plays with the dog, his toys, including a top, thrown down on the floor.There may be moral in the painting, though it was more likely to have been bought for amusement. In a popular emblem book of the time is a picture of a top with a hand over it, wielding a whip. The motto in the book reads: 'The further the rod from the backside, the lazier they grow in the service of God.'It doesn't appear that any whips have been wielded anywhere near the little boy's backside and his happy expression suggests they're unlikely to be so. The picture above all shows a charming scene, beautifully painted by Netscher's expert hand.

The National Gallery, London

London

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Title

A Lady teaching a Child to read, and a Child playing with a Dog ('La Maîtresse d'école')

Date

probably 1670s

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 45.1 x W 37 cm

Accession number

NG844

Acquisition method

Bought, 1871

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Caspar Netscher

1639–1684

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