Portrait of the children of the Prévôt Renaud de Saint-Lézin family – “Caours, Painter to the King”
This touching group portrait from the Restoration period depicts three young boys from a prominent bourgeois or aristocratic family, identified by an old label on the back as the children of the Prévôt Renaud de Saint-Lézin family. The composition is skillfully arranged within a restrained interior featuring a parquetry floor, set before a large frosted-glass door.
The artist captures the innocence of childhood and its pastimes through miniature military accessories—items highly prized during the Empire and Restoration eras. The boy on the left, dressed in a dark blue suit with a white collar, proudly holds a cavalry saber, while a miniature rifle rests beside him. In the center, the youngest brother—wearing the grey dress typical of early childhood—prepares to beat a National Guard drum, with his older brother’s hand resting affectionately on his shoulder. The latter, seated on an elegant Empire-style mahogany curule chair, anchors the composition on the right, dressed in a brown suit.
A period inscription on the stretcher reads “Caours peintre du Roy” (Caours, Painter to the King). Attributed to Caours (active late 18th/early 19th century)?
Oil on canvas
Restoration period (circa 1820)
Dimensions:
With frame: 56 cm x 48 cm
Without frame: 40 cm x 32 cm
