The Triumph of the Innocents: studies for the pose of the Christ-child

These are studies for the figure of the Christ child in Hunt's painting 'The Triumph of the Innocents', in the Walker Art Gallery's collection. The central crossed leg pose is closer to the finished painting than another sketch in the Walker's collection (WAG 6595). Hunt has evidently not quite decided on the relation of the Virgin and Child's heads to one another. The sketches show the artist trying to capture the wriggling movement of the baby, reaching out to touch his mother's face. Whilst preparing to paint 'The Triumph of the Innocents' in Jerusalem, Hunt used local models to pose for the Christ child.