Though little known abroad, Perrault (French, 1832 – 1908) enjoyed a considerable following in France as a painter of genre subjects and portraits. A student of Picot and Bouguereau, he made his first appearance in the Paris Salon in 1861. In addition to easel paintings he also produced some decorative works, including a ceiling decoration for the Marriage Chamber of the city hall of his native Poitiers.
In this interior scene that was first exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1873, Perrault shows a pretty young mother holding her young son. The child is nude and the mother wears a kimono, with her left shoulder and breast exposed. Perrault has excelled in achieving a remarkable richness of colours and textures: the embroidered saffron-coloured silk of the mother's kimono contrasts with the rich purple velvet upholstery of the chair. The vibrantly coloured Oriental rug and Japanese carved teak bed, on which rests a punchinello doll, reflect the vogue for Japanese products in 1870s France.
[Oil on canvas, 170.3 x 111.4 cm]
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