Portrait of a Young Boy Wearing a Sailor Suit, 1884. |
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel (18 October 1850, Orléans – 16 March 1913, Paris), French painter and illustrator, best known for his watercolors for children's books, and the father of the painter Bernard Boutet de Monvel. Wikipedia has a rather exhaustive/exhausting entry on the artist, so I'll think I'll pass the biographical work off to them.
Bernard and Roger, at the château de Vineuil at Bourré, 1883. |
This odd and charming double portrait shows the artist's two sons, two-year-old Bernard - later a famous artist in his own right - and Roger, aged four. It was painted while the family was vacationing at the château de Vineuil - at Bourré in the Loir-et-Cher département of central France - which belonged to madame Boutet de Monvel's cousin, the photographer Louis Rousselet.The two boys look to be posing under great duress, just waiting - stiffly, impatiently; the younger one decidely pouting - until given the all-clear to run off and play.
Boy, this is my kind of work. Love the little stalwart characters standing side by side in a field. The first image is wonderful as well - thumb and all!
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