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This naive portrait has been attributed to Robert Peckham, probably painted in the late-1830s. One estimate suggests 1840. As far as we know, the children are not identified, but based on the hair styles and other attributes are a girl (red dress) and boy (green dress). Of course it is the boy who is shown riding the hobby horse. And we suspect that itmy have been the boys that were mostinterested in riding them. They certainly had a wonderful hobby horse. Notice it was a rocking horse without the safety features added in the late-19th century. What boy would not give his eye-tooth for a wondrrful hobby horse like this one. It has to be one of the great hooby horse we have found. Both children have lace or ruffled collars done without an open necklines and wear pantalettes. This of course is how well-to do children were dressed, fmilies that could afford an expensive painted portrait. We know less about lower-income families because they could not afford painted portraits. Panalettes were necessary as dresses got shorter. Prudish attitudes demanded that even children's legs needed to be covered. As boy got older long pants solved this problem, but older girls wearing dresses needed to cover their legs.
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