These are details from the painting “the Little Tin Soldier” in spired by the children’s story.
How many ways can you see that heads have been painted in this picture? Although un-naturalistic, this distorted way of working allows a more thorough depiction of human character. Some of the distortions are obvious, such as the two figures at the bottom left. But what about the baby sucking a lolly in the pushchair? His red cheeks and bulging eyes suggest the little monster that toddlers can become from time to time.
The light on the trees and the open field beyond suggest the scene is set in the early morning, especially as there is mist on the river behind the doll’s house. A young boy, much larger in proportion than the other figures observers the scene through binoculars. This tells us that it is a world of his imagination where his toys and the real world joint together to create a living daydream.