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The boy’s lightly grazed knee and unbuttoned finery suggests he is fresh from a game. He stands victorious next to a makeshift wicket holding a bat inscribed ‘Lewis Cage Aged 5’. His confident pose and adult clothing suggests greatness beyond his years – a common theme in portraits of children around this time.
Painted by British artist and illustrator Francis Cotes, the picture shows the link between life and play, hard work and success. Cotes was Director of the Society of Artists and founding member of the Royal Academy. He lived and worked in Marylebone around the time this picture was painted.
Little is known of the sitter, Lewis Cage, although he is mentioned in correspondence by Jane Austen, and had strong connections with cricket’s heartland of Kent.
Three different versions of this picture have been hung at Lord’s during the last century and in 2009 MCC acquired the original.
