Guarisco Gallery 2012

Mother and Child uring the second half of the 19 th century genre scenes became increasingly popular. With the expansive growth of the Industrial Revolution, a new population began accumulating wealth. Immense fortunes were quickly amassed, and patrons were plentiful. These emerging middle and upper classes favored genre scenes depicting notions of domesticity. For the first time, artists chose subjects for the sheer purpose of pleasing the eye and amusing the viewer. A new fasci- nation with the everyday scene emerged—especially in vignettes of intimate and lighthearted domestic life, rural experi- ences, and the middle class. hose drawn to the sentimental images depicting the domestic sphere were particularly attracted to paintings of the ten- der relationship between mother and child. The private intimacy of this universal bond had a special, timeless appeal to collectors and artists. * * * * * * * * * * * * Émile Munier he French Academic painter Émile Munier’s work is likened, both in subject and style, to that of WilliamAdolphe Bouguereau, one of France’s best-known 19 th century Academic painters. Having already exhibited at the Société des Artistes in Paris, Munier entered Bouguereau’s studio in 1872, and under his influence began to focus on depicting the relationship between mother and child. He adopted Bouguereau’s sentimentally attuned subject matter and integrated Bouguereau’s rich palette with his own strength in draftsmanship. Exhibitions: Paris, Salon, 1869-1886 Left: W. Vester Center: E. Munier Right: G. Walckiers D T T