Lilly Martin Spencer (American, born England, 1822–1902)
This Little Pig Went to Market
INV-2598
Lilly Martin Spencer (American, born England, 1822–1902)c. 1857
This Little Pig Went to Market
Lilly Martin Spencer (American, born England, 1822–1902) →19th centurygenregenre painting
Date
c. 1857
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
61 × 50.8 cm (24 × 20 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Roger and J. Peter McCormick Endowment Fund; through prior acquisition of George F. Harding Collection; through prior gift of Chicago Normal School Alumni
Lilly Martin Spencer positioned women at the center of her vivid portrayals of the everyday activities of white, urban, middle-class households like her own. This Little Pig Went to Market features a mother and child (modeled by the artist and her son William Henry) reciting a playful nursery rhyme. The game celebrates their emotional bond while also hinting at the larger world that the boy will eventually join.
Establishing herself professionally in Cincinnati and relocating to New York in 1848, Spencer supported her large family with her art. One of the most popular US artists of the mid-19th century, she worked hard throughout her career to translate this success into financial security.
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