![John George Brown - Meditation [c.1900-10]](http://c1.staticflickr.com/1/408/18839206923_e7f859cc5c_o.jpg)
John George Brown (Durham, November 11, 1831 - New York City, 1913) was an English-born American artist. Brown was one of the most successful genre painters of the late 19th century. He worked as a glassblower in Brooklyn and proceeded to open a studio in 1860, launching his artistic career with a painting entitled His First Cigar. His paintings of cheery street urchins, vendors and shoeshine boys were quite popular with wealthy collectors. However, Brown falsified his subjects as always happy and healthy with just a touch of grime for cosmetics. These scenes were really below his artistic ability but Brown did not want to cause social alarm among patrons. Many of Brown ‘s paintings were reproduced in lithography and widely distributed with packaged teas.
[Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 63.5 cm]