CIRCLE OF SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY R.A (BRITISH, 1753-1839)
Portrait of a young boy, half-length, wearing a white lace collar, dark blue coat, and holding a hoop and stick, landscape beyond
oil on canvas
67 x 53 cm

The young boy in the present portrait is portrayed with a hoop and stick, perhaps symbolising his youth. Hoop rolling, as it is commonly known, is a game that has been widely documented across societies, with the earliest records dating back to Ancient Greece. In England, young people are known to have played games with hoops and sticks as early as the 15^th Century. The popularity of the game was recorded by English artist and writer, Jospeh Strutt (1749-1802), who claimed that the streets of London were filled with young boys playing the game.

References:

‘Cassell’s Book of Sports and Pastimes’, London: Cassell, 1986, page 237