Lady Warwick and Children, George Romney, 1787-1789

Oil on canvas. Part of the Frick Collection, see it on the Frick website for more info.

A fairy-like pink-haired mother sits with her two young children standing beside her. Her little daughter looks up at her, wearing a white cotton dress, matching hat and blue-bowed shoes, her blonde hair shining and cheeks flushed. The little boy stands separate on the left, in his navy colonial-looking jacket with it’s white frill collar. His blonde hair looks just like his sister’s and he stares out at us with the same blue eyes as his mother.

Their features are perfectly synchronized, the family resemblance expertly rendered. The withdrawal behind their expressions makes it seem as if they’re trying to keep the secret of their beauty from getting out.