Artwork
Sketch for 'Happy as a King'
Sketch for 'Happy as a King' is a drawing by the Romanticist artist William Collins. It dates from 1833 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This 1833 drawing by William Collins is a preparatory sketch for his painting 'Happy as a King'. It establishes the composition and subject matter for the final work.
Subject & Meaning
The sketch depicts two children riding in a simple horse-drawn cart. The horse appears weary, and the cart's wheels are rudimentary. One child is bundled in a coat at the front, while the other leans back, holding an object.
Technique & Style
Executed quickly, the drawing features loose lines and smudges, giving it an unfinished appearance. The horse's head and the children's clothing are more detailed than the rest of the sketch, which is suggested rather than fully rendered.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Collins (8 September 1788, London – 17 February 1847, London) was an English landscape and genre painter.
Coming from School
Littlehampton : Seashore Study with Children Playing on the Sands
Long Seats, Gray's Inn
Tooth Extraction
High Street, Brussels
The Boat Trip: Heritage of the Cart (The Children with the Cart)
The Barrow - Quartier des Marolles, Brussels
The Menpes Children
La madone et les enfants (The Madonna and the Children)
Chinese figures eating food at a table
Study of a kneeling child
Group of Six Children (recto)