Oil on canvas, *The Doll and the Butterfly* by Paul CHOCARNE MOREAU
Oil on canvas, *The Doll and the Butterfly* by Paul CHOCARNE MOREAU
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Paul Chocarne-Moreau 1855–1930
A genre painter, Paul Chocarne-Moreau studied under William Bouguereau and Tony Robert-Fleury at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
An excellent portraitist, he quickly decided to devote his talent to his favorite subject,
childhood, which he depicted through scenes of Parisian life.
Often dressed in rags, their faces blackened with soot, carrying baskets too heavy for them, these children—from the young chimney sweep to the young flower seller—
became a major source of inspiration for 19th-century realist artists, both in painting and in literature.
Further information
| Dimensions | 40.5 × 51 cm |
|---|
With humor and poetry, he loves to infuse his paintings with cheerfulness.
In his work, cooks, bakers, and chimney sweeps are depicted engaged in lively exchanges or enjoying a brief moment of freedom to play pranks or invent a game,
their mischievous, smiling faces.
, who was famous during his lifetime and highly prolific,
exhibited at nearly every Salon beginning in 1882.
He received an Honorable Mention in 1886
and a Bronze Medal
at the 1889 World’s Fair.
He is often regarded as a precursor to the American artist Norman Rockwell.
This oil on canvas perfectly illustrates the artist’s talent for capturing moments of everyday poetry and childlike innocence.
The subject is simple: a little doll dressed in a colorful kimono, sitting on the floor, reaches out her hand toward a white butterfly fluttering above her, adding a touch of realism and tenderness.
Beside her, a metal vase holds a bouquet of holly with bright red berries, while a half-peeled clementine segment
The color palette, with its warm and subtle hues, enhances the work’s poetic atmosphere.
Every detail—from the texture of the holly leaves to the folds of the doll’s fabric—reflects the artist’s meticulous attention to rendering materials and her keen eye for portraiture.
This painting also reflects the artist’s characteristic sense of humor and cheerfulness: even a simple scene, such as a doll watching a butterfly, becomes a little world of curiosity and wonder.
He never dramatizes everyday life, but rather elevates it through his sensitivity and poetic approach.