Richard Dadd

The Child’s Problem

1857

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Richard Dadd 1817–1886
Medium: Watercolour and graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 171 x 254 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Dr R.C. Neville 1954
Reference: N06251

Display caption

The title of this work refers to a position on the chess board which was considered simple enough to have been set by a child. The theme of the opposition of black and white is picked up in the pictures on the wall which relate to the anti-slavery movement, a cause supported by Dadd’s family. On the table are delicate still-life objects, such as the walnut shell boat to the left, which may or may not have significance.

Gallery label, May 2007

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