3-047-086 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

"Le Dejeuner," by Perrault, from a photograph published by Messrs. Goupil and Co., 1872. Engraving of a painting. 'This agreeable picture represents a young French peasant-mother feeding her baby-boy from the dish of milk which supplies his breakfast. It is by M. L. Perrault, a pupil of M. Bouguereau. Indeed, the present work closely resembles a picture by M. Bouguereau which we engraved some months ago. The draughtsmanship, however, of the heads and extremities in this pretty group is much superior to what we generally find in similar subjects by English painters. On the other hand, there is a certain artificiality, which hardly accords with the simple theme, in the almost ostentatious precision of the workmanship. The smooth finish of the surface does not compensate for the necessary sacrifice of the charm of the artist's "touch;" and is, besides, unfavourable to the attainment of the fresher qualities of colour. But these disadvantages are not seen in the Engraving'. From "Illustrated London News", 1872.