Portrait of a boy holding a book
graphite and white gouache on paper
39.5 x 32 cm oval view
in good condition, slightly yellowed with age
In its original oval frame and mount, numerous stains and foxing.
The back of the frame has just been replaced.
This strikingly realistic portrait is typical of the golden age of portraiture in the second half of the 19th century. It was also the time, with the invention of photography, when the painted and drawn portrait was most seriously challenged.
This forced artists to outdo themselves to prove their superiority over this new invention.
The great technical mastery is evident in this portrait, but the artist was also able to capture the young boy's inner self and convey the special psychology of childhood.