The Toy Seller

The Toy Seller is an oil painting by the Irish artist William Mulready, from 1835. The original is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London
It depicts a travelling toy salesman, trying to persuade a mother to buy from him, despite the child's obvious reluctance. The original painting shows him holding a toy bird, while the later version appears to show a rattle. It shows a scene in rural England, with the salesman as a black man.
The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1836 at Somerset House in London. It was donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1857 as part of the Sheepshanks Gift.
Later in his carer Mulready worked on a much larger version of the painting on canvas. This was acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland in 1891.