Too Young To Be Married by Thomas Faed RA, 1826-1900. 1869. Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 cm. Bequeathed by Charles Gassiot, 1902. Guildford Art Gallery. Click on the images to enlarge them. Against the backdrop of dramatic Highland scenery, and beside an open gate, a barefooted milkmaid looks off into the distance, her dog watching her intently. Her loose blue bonnet, like the Virgin Mary's hood, suggests her innocence. The mature-looking man beside her, with his arm around her, might be a suitor, or he might be her father, gently explaining to her that she must wait before getting married: the scene is open to interpretation. For the moment, though, encircled as she is, the young woman is passive, perhaps resigned, but wistful....
Photographs and comment by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use the images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and the Guildhall Art Gallery, which kindly permits photography, and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one
Created 18 May 2018