The Boy Artist

Sixteen-year-old Raymond Leicester sees a picture in the firelight falling across his sister Madge’s face. She patiently sits for him while breakfast waits, sharing his hope that a painting might help them earn a better living. In their London lodgings, Raymond buys art materials with money from drawings for a cheap periodical, while twelve-year-old Madge mends his clothes and attends to the household. Their father’s careless treatment makes their loyalty to each other especially important.

Published in 1872, this story for young readers places artistic ambition beside the daily work of affection and responsibility. A visit to a colour shop brings Madge to the attention of another artist, opening a possible connection between the children’s narrow circumstances and a wider artistic world. Readers interested in older children’s fiction will find close attention to paintings, family duties, and the hopes that siblings build together.