Foundling Portraits Campaign

Small exhibition for a landmark project at the Foundling Museum to commission portraits of some of the last children to pass though the hospital’s care.

The Museum realised that they had not portraits of any of the 25,000 children to pass through their doors since 1739. To fill this gap they have commissioned five major artists to create portraits of five former pupils of the Foundling Hospital – to hang alongside the grand paintings of the Hospital’s Governors and benefactors, giving care-experienced children visibility and voice within the story of British art and culture.

The prestigious artists chosen , Jillian Edelstein, Mahtab Hussain, David Moore, Ingrid Pollard and Wolfgang Tillmans, reflect the support of Hogarth one of the leading artists of the 18th century for the hospital when it was founded.

These were lovely images hung up the main staircase and I hope the plans are to commission more. Wouldn’t it be lovely if they could record all the people still alive who the hospital had looked after and tell their stories. They may have missed previous generations but it would be lovely to record the last one.

Closes 27 February 2022

 

 

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