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Description: signed E. MUNIER and dated 1880 (upper right) oil on canvas

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Dimensions: measurements 26 3/8 by 22 in. alternate measurements 66.9 by 55.8 cm

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Provenance: Private Collection, Spain
Private Collection, Buffalo (acquired from the above in circa 1930)
Thence by descent through the family to the present owner

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Notes: We would like to thank Damien Bartoli for providing this catalogue note and for confirming the authenticity of this lot. We would also like to thank the Munier descendents for providing additional catalogue information. Howard L. Rehs has authenticated this work and will include it in his forthcoming Émile Munier catalogue raisonné to be published by Rehs Galleries, Inc. (www.emilemunier.org).
While dating from 1880, the present work depicts Marie Louise Munier, the daughter of the artist, as she appeared around 1876. One of William Bouguereau's most accomplished students, Munier was skilled at modeling the human figure though his faces are less idealized in recording the individual characteristics of his own children. This charming warmth of the present composition reflects the happy atmosphere of Munier's household, particularly cherished in an era when so many children were lost to illness. While Munier's title for this work has been forgotten, the number of variations painted of this subject suggests the composition was one of the artist's favorites and particularly well received by his patrons.