Size 27.5" x 35.5"
Format Oil on Canvas
Signature Lower Right
Frame Gilt

History of the painting

The auctioneers obviously got the offer price wrong for this lot which ended up fetching not that much lower than the American Harry Brooker sale record of $35,000 set by The Crucial Moment when it was auctioned in 2003.

Haynes Fine Art of Broadway UK, acquired this painting either at the above auction or at some point soon afterwards. They are currently showing it in their gallery with an asking price of £40,000.

Prior to the above sale it was owned by Mrs. W.A. "Betty" Criswell, Dallas, Texas who auctioned it as one of a pair with A Youthful Duet 1898. Both paintings fetched over double the offer price.

Other observations

Elsie, Harry and Edmee's youngest child (still under 2) again features, this time sitting on Ruth's lap. Ruth and Elsie are watching the boys spinning tops. The scene is set against the garden shed and the grinding wheel, the pair of which also act as the backdrop for My First Cricket Bat painted three years earlier.

The three boys are likely to be Oswald (now aged 15) spinning the top with Charles (now aged 10) looking on and Edwin (now aged 12) squatting down close to the spinning tops. It may of course be Edgar (now aged 16) in place of Oswald, or Oswald in place of Edwin.