John George Brown created the painting A Tough Story in 1886. In the picture four children, all boys, are sitting in an olive colored room on chipped blocks of wood. Three of the boys appear to be listening attentively as the other is telling a story. His hands are raised and his head is cocked to the side as if he’s recalling the intriguing experience as he tells it. The child closest to the foreground clasps his hands around his knee and leans back as if anticipating the words coming from the other boy’s mouth. The other two lazily lean against each other in the background obviously mesmerized by the story being told.
If it weren’t for their small stature, it would be easy to confuse these children with adults. Their clothes are worn and tattered as if they’ve spent excessive amounts of hours performing heavy labor. Their faces aren’t filled with the usual joy found in children, but with wisdom and understanding as the boy unveils his story. The boy telling the story wears a mature look on his face; it’s as if we’re looking at a middle aged man explaining his day at work instead of a meager child speaking to his peers. These children look as if they’ve been forced into maturation at a young age. Maybe this is the reason as to why their story is so “tough” to tell.
All of the children’s clothing is very dark and bland and there are various spots where their skin peeks through. There are splotches of dirt on the story telling boy’s feet with no sign of his tattered shoes. Like their clothing, the rest of the colors used in the painting are also very simple and dull. It incorporates various shades of brown, tan, and green along with heavy shading to give the room the children are in its desired look. Although the shading appears heavy in the left corner, it eventually lightens as your eye drifts across the picture. It’s as if some light is being shown on their situation, even if at first glance it appears very opaque.
This picture was not meant to look joyful. However, its purpose is not to bring on a sense of depression either. The children’s faces aren’t splattered with frowns of depression, but rather with neutral expressions. To someone in this day and time, this picture may bring on a sense of sympathy for the financially unfortunate children; however, it’s clear that they’re cable of seizing some optimism in their sea of hardship. Although they look tired and worn, they’re still able to socialize and act like the real human beings they are. These children don’t seem to prioritize the idea that they’re not in the nicest clothing. They’re simply satisfied with the fact that they have the opportunity to enjoy each others company, and that’s a “tough story” that many minds are incapable of comprehending.