James Sant: The Emperor of Children James Sant (1820–1916) stands as a towering figure in Victorian portraiture, celebrated for his unparalleled ability to capture the essence of childhood and imbue his canvases with profound symbolic meaning. Born in Croydon, Surrey, England, on April 23rd, 1820, Sant’s artistic journey began under the tutelage of luminaries like John Varley and Augustus Wall Callcott, establishing a foundation rooted in watercolor technique – a skill he honed diligently before transitioning to oil painting at the age of twenty. His formative years were spent studying at th…