{"product_id":"football","title":"Football","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Victorian Boyhood — Football\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"241\" data-end=\"653\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis piece is a quiet homage to a Victorian childhood shaped by fresh air, open fields, and the simple joy of play. It depicts a young boy at the edge of a meadow, football tucked under his arm, pausing between games to commune with the natural world around him. His attention is drawn not to crowds or competition, but to a small creature perched nearby — a fleeting moment of stillness before the game resumes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"655\" data-end=\"939\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the distance stands an old-fashioned football goal: plain wooden posts and a crossbar, unadorned and honest, marking out a space where imagination mattered more than formality. It is football in its purest sense — played for pleasure, companionship, and the sheer love of movement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"941\" data-end=\"1307\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe composition is steeped in Victorian ideals: the belief that character was formed outdoors; that sport, nature, and moral fibre were intertwined; and that a boy’s happiest hours were those spent roaming fields, climbing trees, and playing games until dusk. There is no urgency here, no spectacle — only balance, innocence, and harmony between child and landscape.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1309\" data-end=\"1623\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis artwork forms\u003cspan class=\"apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1328\" data-end=\"1359\"\u003eone half of a companion set\u003c\/strong\u003e, paired with a corresponding\u003cspan class=\"apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1389\" data-end=\"1400\"\u003eCricket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003escene. Together, the two prints celebrate the twin summer pastimes of the Victorian era, capturing a time when sport was not yet professionalised, but deeply personal — woven into daily life and the rhythms of the seasons.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1625\" data-end=\"1935\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDisplayed as a pair, the works tell a broader story of youth, nature, and the enduring romance of outdoor play in 19th-century Britain. They are not just sporting scenes, but reflections on a lost way of life — when all a boy truly wanted was a bat or a ball, a patch of grass, and the freedom of the open air.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"262\" data-start=\"215\"\u003e\n\u003cb style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eProduct details:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou will only pay shipping\/postage for 1 item, no matter how many items you purchase.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiscounts are given for multiple purchases.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eSize: A3, A4, A5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSingle Sided\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePaper: 400gsm premium art stock\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePrint quality: Museum-grade, high-resolution\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eFinish: Unframed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eWatermark shown in images does NOT appear on the final print\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCarefully packaged for safe delivery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA striking piece of football history — ideal for collectors, historians, and lovers of our national game.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAny issues please contact me at \u003ca href=\"mailto:paul@worldvintagecolours.com\"\u003epaul@worldvintagecolours.com\u003c\/a\u003e by clicking the hyperlink and I will get back to you ASAP.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Vintage Colours","offers":[{"title":"A3","offer_id":47264054739136,"sku":"Football A3","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4","offer_id":47264054771904,"sku":"Football A4","price":7.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A5","offer_id":47264054804672,"sku":"Football A5","price":4.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/8242\/7840\/files\/A3-Football_9d0a219e-1a26-458b-ac8d-40944bd6236a.jpg?v=1769378151","url":"https:\/\/www.worldvintagecolours.com\/products\/football","provider":"World Vintage Colours","version":"1.0","type":"link"}