Childhood's changing face captured by masters

Dulwich Picture Gallery has brought together 30 masterpieces by artists including Anthony van Dyck, Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough to show how views of children have developed over the centuries.

Ian Dejardin, the gallery's director, said: "What we're recording is the way the imagery which artists chose for children changed quite significantly. We stop in the early 19th century because after that you begin to drown in syrup."

In the 17th century, children were painted because parents wanted their heirs recorded for posterity. In the 18th century, theories from the likes of John Locke provoked debate about the importance of raising children naturally and letting them learn through play, so they finally got to be painted as children.

Mr Dejardin said: "The art moves from stiff portraits where children are seen very much as guarantors of continuity - tiny adults - to children acting in a childlike way. In the 18th century you get real children running around and doing ordinary things like playing cricket or playing with their pets.

"In the 17th century, if a little girl has a dog in her lap, it means fidelity. It's advertising a quality she is meant to have as a future wife. In the 18th century, it's there as a little dog."

Highlights of the show include Reynolds's portrait of Miss Crewe, daughter of John, 1st Baron Crewe, borrowed from a private collection.

The Changing Face Of Childhood, Dulwich Picture Gallery, from tomorrow to 4 November.