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The Robber and His Child

1832
Karl Friedrich Lessing (German, 1808–1880)
At the time this painting was made, popular stories celebrated noble outcasts as victims of social circumstances beyond their control. Here, the robber is a defeated man who may have turned to stealing to feed the child he so tenderly shelters under his arm. Isolated in a harsh, rocky landscape, the figures invite our sympathy.

Object Details

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