Boy with Toy Soldiers

Gallery 259, European Art 1850-1900, second floor (Pollack Gallery)

Main Building

Boy with Toy Soldiers

c. 1876

Antonio Mancini (Italian, 1852–1930)

Mancini sold this picture for the small sum of two hundred francs to his friend, the well-known French writer Paul Bourget, after declaring to him, "You can not imagine how much I need to earn money." It was painted in Naples, between the artist's two trips to Paris in 1875 and 1877 and was inspired by reports of the ongoing Russo-Turkish War. The model Luigiello appears again in the same lace-collared costume he wore five years earlier in After the Duel. A black glove covers one hand, while the other is bare, a juxtaposition that held some enduring fascination for Mancini, who repeated the idea several more times, including in self-portraits.

Gallery 259, European Art 1850-1900, second floor (Pollack Gallery)

Object Details

Title:

Boy with Toy Soldiers

Date:

c. 1876

Artist:

Antonio Mancini (Italian, 1852–1930)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

29 1/2 × 24 3/4 inches (74.9 × 62.9 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Vance N. Jordan Collection, 2004

Accession Number:

2004-108-2

Geography:

Made in Naples, Italy, Europe

Provenance

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.

Gallery 259, European Art 1850-1900, second floor (Pollack Gallery)

Main Building

Museum map