John George Brown was one of the leading genre painters of American nineteenth century art. Best known for his dynamic street scenes of children, Brown’s paintings offer an idealized and playful representation of local children as newsboys, street musicians and more. Many of his compositions illustrate the children in tight groups, embedding his subjects with a sense of camaraderie and community.

Brown’s most successful compositions feature a multitude of figures set within a unified presentation. Dated 1884, Under the Weather boasts an impressive scale and showcases nine young children and a dog. Their melancholic expressions mirror the surrounding weather, with the right-most figure holding an umbrella to ward off the rain.

Under the Weather was exhibited at the National Academy of Design’s annual Spring Exhibition in 1884, the year of its execution. Brown had a lifelong relationship with the Academy, first studying there in 1853 under Thomas Seir Cummings upon moving to New York. He served as the Academy’s vice president from 1899 to 1904 and exhibited there regularly throughout his artistic career.