This fine mid-19th-century oil painting by French artist Leon Goupil (1834-1890) depicts a mother and her three children within a rustic interior.
Goupil worked during the mid to late 19th century, a time of great transition for European art. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he rebuked the advances of modern tastes, preferring to retain his classical ideals. In this respect, he was a rebel in his own right.
His artistic education was a formal affair at the Paris School of Fine Arts under Ary Scheffer and his brother Henri. Both were romantics and Ary, in particular, was well-admired for his fine brushwork and exquisite figures. Also the teacher of King Louis Philippe I’s children. For young Goupil, his training would’ve been taxing, with the focus on perfecting one’s drawing skills and studying the old masters, yet equally rewarding.
At just 16, in 1850, he debuted at the Paris Salon, somewhat audaciously with a self-portrait. It was a fascinating exhibition with a palpable tension between old and new. The behemoths of French romanticism, such as Eugene Delacroix, were represented - so too were the classicists. But equally, the young realist painters, such as Gustave Courbet and Théodore Rousseau were also shown. Courbet with his controversial ‘The Stone Breakers’. It’s evident that Goupil favoured his classical teachings and interesting to consider how he felt amid this dizzying array of ideologies. He continued to exhibit at the Paris Salon for decades to come - maintaining his beliefs, despite these changing times. Living predominantly in Paris with his brother, Jules, also an artist.
In 1867, he produced a scintillating portrayal of Catherine of Aragon staring longingly towards a window. Her raised right hand supporting her cheek, while the other droops forlornly. A book lays open on a nearby table - perhaps her only escape from a lonely existence. He often turned to the past for inspiration, producing portraits of models dressed as Renaissance courtesans and tavern scenes overrun with bawdy cavaliers. Each handled with careful attention to the ornate details and sumptuous drapery.
In his later years, he moved to Montmartre in Paris, a melting pot of artistic creativity. The impressionists, Monet, Manet, Degas, Pisarro, Cézanne etc, were frequenting the same cafes. The discussions would’ve been lively, to say the least. In one such meeting place, the Café Pigalle, Goupil, having heard a story regarding the smell of the place, painted a rat on the ceiling. It remains in place today and has become synonymous with the venue, which was renamed ‘Le Rat Mort’.
Here, in this piece from circa 1870, he’s captured the timeless theme of motherhood with gritty realism. Designed with a Renaissance-style pyramidal composition, the mother echoes depictions of the Virgin Mary. However, in stark contrast to the veneer of a Raphael, her expression is one of weary truth. Her swollen feet protrude from her worn dress. Her sunken eyes convey extreme sleep deprivation. She’s motivated by love and seeking strength from the divine.
Goupil is represented in numerous public collections including the Bordeaux Museum of Fine Arts, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, and National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires.
Signed/dated lower left and held within a gilt frame.
Learn more about Leon Goupil in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 37” x 46” / 94cm x 117cm
Year of creation: c. 1870
Provenance: Private collection, England.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Faint stretcher marks. Frame with signs of age including a surface crack.
Artist’s auction maximum: £15,674 for ‘Queen Katherine of Aragon - Before the Vision (1867)’, Oil on Panel, Sotheby’s, New York, 1988.
Our reference: BRV1826
