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Description: | Little is known about the life and work of the three artist brothers Le Nain. Their work - like that of Chardin - was rediscovered in the middle of the nineteenth century when, after the revolution of 1848, the French heritage was re-examined. Largely due to the writings of the critic Champfleury, the work of the brothers Le Nain was re-assessed. Seen as forerunners of the Realists - in their working directly from nature and in their study of the lower classes of society - they influenced the paintings of Courbet and Manet. Although Antoine - who specialised in small genre scenes - is usually credited as the painter of this small work on copper, it is difficult to know for certain. The artist has resisted the temptation to idealise these six peasant children, standing in their slightly tattered and frequently mended clothes, in the corner of a dark and confined space. It is a quiet and tranquil scene - two of the children are playing musical instruments - and the character of each child is painted with sensitivity. | Subjects: | figure | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Le Nain, Antoine (French painter, ca.1588-1648) Æ Attributed to | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8294... | Go to resource |
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