Charles West Cope, English
Three-Year-Old Who Dressed Herself Rewarded With a Dog Treat, 1857
Oil on canvas
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MASTERPIECE #1369
I originally couldn't find the actual date, so I ballparked it. I've gone ahead and changed it to 1857. Even if it's not exact, it got to be closer to reality. Thanks for the info!
This provides the actual title, and this says it was first exhibited at London's Royal Academy in 1857; so, the 1841 date seems a bit suspect.
Archive of first this link, and update to second this link.
Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here (archived if necessary), here, here, here, here, here, and here (archived if necessary), perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page.
/// Breakfast time. “Morning games,” Mother joked.
But it’s really harsh medicine cloaked.
She had trained little Meg
how to sit up and beg
for a sugar cube… castor oil soaked.
/// There’s a small leather book on the floor
in which Mother would write to keep score.
How each castor oil dose
she poured hadn’t come close
to be swallowed. (The taste, they abhor.)
/// The girls’ puppy’s not begging as well.
Something changed; he could easily tell.
This was no tasty treat
like some savory meat.
Too bad Meg hadn’t his sense of smell.
/// The first cube was plain sugar and sweet.
Tiny Meg begged to get one more treat.
When the tongs touched her tongue,
trusting Meg came unstrung.
(She had just been betrayed by deceit.)
/// Meg’s big sister came up with the plan.
(She torments the child each time she can.)
Meg received too much of
their naive mother’s love,
and that’s how sibling conflict began.
/// To get treats (and her Mom’s favor curry),
cutie Meg learned to beg in a hurry.
She’s a dog, Mom pretends.
Is that wrong? It depends.
Years from now Meg’s a cosplaying Furry.
/// When she grew up, men called Meg contrary.
She was always suspicious and wary.
Her issues with trust
started here and she just
never could find a person to marry.