Alfred Dixon (London, 1842-1919): 'A Mother’s Farewell at Wanstead Orphan Asylum', oil on canvas, ca. 1890

Dim.: 144,5 x 119 cm (the frame)
Dim.: 126 x 101 cm (the work)

Alfred Dixon (British, 1842–1919) was a London-born painter active in Victorian England. He mostly painted scenes of everyday Victorian life, not shying away from harsh realities.
In this scene, we see a mother dropping off her child at an orphanage. The mother is unable to look at her child in this farewell moment; the child gazes at her, transfixed, unaware of what is happening. The child holds small yellow flowers in its hand—possibly marsh marigolds—which, according to old folklore, symbolize protection and the warding off of evil spirits.
The orphanage depicted is the Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum, originally founded in 1827 on Hackney Road in London. The orphanage was later moved, in 1843, to a new building on Crown-owned land near Wanstead Forest, Snaresbrook.

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