Oil paint on mahogany
Tate Britain
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-david-wilkie-600" aria-label="More by Sir David Wilkie" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Sir David Wilkie</a>
Blind Fiddler
Presented by Sir George Beaumont Bt 1826
actions: processes and functions
adults
agriculture, gardening & fishing
animals: mammals
arts and entertainment
baby
basket
blindness / cataract / myopia
box
child
children
diseases and conditions
dog - non-specific
domestic
family
family
fine arts and music
food and drink
group
groups
instrument, violin
interiors
leisure and pastimes
listening
living room
man
music
music and entertainment
musician
objects
people
playing
recreational activities
society
spinning wheel
tools and machinery
vegetable - non-specific
vessels and containers
watering can
woman
work and occupations
<p>David Wilkie suggests the emotional power of music here. He expresses the different reactions to the blind fiddler’s music – one young boy even pretends to play the fire bellows. This was only the second painting Wilkie exhibited publicly and it confirmed his reputation as a rising new star. A large crowd gathered around the picture when it was displayed at the Royal Academy. Exhibition-goers admired his observational skills, his characterisation, and his sympathetic view of everyday domestic life. It was hung next to JMW Turner’s <span>A Country Blacksmith,</span> which had a similarly subject and muted colours. Many contemporaries believed Turner was sparring with the younger artist.</p><p><em>Gallery label, February 2024</em></p>
painting oil paint mahogany
18 September 2002 – 1 December 2002
2002-12-01
18 September 2002 – 1 December 2002
2002-12-01
2002-09-18
Dulwich Picture Gallery (London, UK)
2002-09-18
David Wilkie, Genre Painting
Loan-out
10 March 2003 – 12 July 2004
2004-07-12
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-03-10
Royal Academy
Collection based display
26 July 2004 – 27 June 2005
2005-06-27
26 July 2004 – 27 June 2005
2005-06-27
2004-07-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2004-07-26
Art and National Identity
Collection based display
1 August 2005 – 2 March 2008
2008-03-02
1 August 2007
2007-08-01
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-08-01
Victorian Paintings of Modern Life
Collection based display
21 September 2009 – 19 September 2010
2010-09-19
21 September 2009 – 24 January 2010
2010-01-24
2009-09-21
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
22 February 2010 – 23 May 2010
2010-05-23
2010-02-22
Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Paris, France)
21 June 2010 – 19 September 2010
2010-09-19
2010-06-21
Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid, Spain)
2009-09-21
Turner and the Masters
Exhibition
22 February 2010 – 19 September 2010
2010-09-19
21 September 2009 – 3 January 2010
2010-01-03
2009-09-21
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
22 February 2010 – 23 May 2010
2010-05-23
2010-02-22
Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Paris, France)
21 June 2010 – 19 September 2010
2010-09-19
2010-06-21
Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid, Spain)
2010-02-22
Turner and the Masters
Loan-out
30 November 2012 – 24 July 2022
2022-07-24
1 December 2012
2012-12-01
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2012-11-30
Gallery 14
Collection based display
26 September 2022
26 September 2022
2022-09-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-09-26
Gallery 15
Collection based display
The Blind Fiddler
support: 578 × 794 mm
Presented by Sir George Beaumont Bt 1826
<div class="text">
<p>David Wilkie suggests the emotional power of music here. He expresses the different reactions to the blind fiddler’s music – one young boy even pretends to play the fire bellows. This was only the second painting Wilkie exhibited publicly and it confirmed his reputation as a rising new star. A large crowd gathered around the picture when it was displayed at the Royal Academy. Exhibition-goers admired his observational skills, his characterisation, and his sympathetic view of everyday domestic life. It was hung next to JMW Turner’s <i>A Country Blacksmith,</i> which had a similarly subject and muted colours. Many contemporaries believed Turner was sparring with the younger artist. </p>
</div>

Display caption
2024-02-27T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
actions: processes and functions adults agriculture, gardening & fishing animals: mammals arts and entertainment baby basket blindness / cataract / myopia box child children diseases and conditions dog - non-specific domestic family family fine arts and music food and drink group groups instrument, violin interiors leisure and pastimes listening living room man music music and entertainment musician objects people playing recreational activities society spinning wheel tools and machinery vegetable - non-specific vessels and containers watering can woman work and occupations