| The Toy Seller | |
|---|---|
 Version in the National Gallery of Ireland | |
| Artist | William Mulready |
| Year | 1835 |
| Type | Oil on panel, genre painting |
| Dimensions | 36 cm× 31 cm(14 in× 12 in) |
| Location | Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
The Toy Seller is an 1835 oil painting by the Irish artist William Mulready. [1] [2] It depicts a travelling toy salesman, trying to persuade a mother to buy from him despite the child's obvious reluctance. The original painting shows him holding a toy bird, while the later version appears to show a rattle. It shows a scene in rural England, with the salesman as a black man. [3]
The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1836 at Somerset House in London. It was donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1857 as part of the Sheepshanks Gift. [4] Maclise was working Later in his carer Mulready worked on a much larger version of the painting on canvas. This was acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland in 1891. [5]
