As many of you know, I've been painting alot of toys lately. They are so fun and revitalizing. There's something about toys, unlike any other objects, that captivate people. The toy paintings evoke memories and emotions. I want to make people feel good about what I paint....So in my daily cruising around on the intranets I found this amazing William Merrit Chase toy painting on an art history blog website of some girls playing with a ring toss! I'd never seen the painting before.
It's really interesting to note what kept kids entertained in the 1800s...and then what it takes to keep a kid entertained in the 2000s!! To the later; quite a bit! Kids now have playstations, and ipods, and youtube, and amazing interactive, sound making, light emitting doodads. My little nephew has amassed probably the equivalent of half a toysrus store worth of toys. Even I had quite a bit of fun things to play with growing up. But think about all those poor souls who lived before the 20th century who had all but a circle with a stick to play with...
William Merritt Chase
Ring Toss
1896
Oil on canvas
40 3/8 x 35 1/8 in. (102.6 x 89.2 cm).
Collection of Marie and Hugh Halff
