Madame Georges Charpentier & Her Children

Jimmy took the girls to the Met on Sunday. They did a guided tour in the Impressionist wing. Museum-going has become one of my favorite activities to do with the girls. I love hearing their thoughts on everything and they venture to answer the tour guide’s questions.

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

Their tour spent time in front of a Renoir commissioned by Madame Charpentier. It depicts her, her two children and the family dog. At this point in his career, Renoir’s work had been rejected for years by various salons. He was hesitant to try again with this piece but at the urging of friends submitted it for judging. Renoir feared it would be “skied” or placed at the highest position on the wall as they commonly did with work that was less desired. It was accepted, in part, because of Charpentier’s large social influence. She ensured not only its acceptance, but a position of prominence. She was right, as it ultimately changed the course of his life and he became the most popular painter of his time.

Madame Georges Charpentier (Marguerite-Louise Lemonnier, 1848–1904) and Her Children, Georgette-Berthe (1872–1945) and Paul-Emile-Charles (1875–1895) by Auguste Renoir, 1878

Jimmy showed it to me when we met up later and I awww-ed at what I thought was a portrait of a mother and her two daughters. I gasped, as he said the group did, when the guide revealed it is a brother and sister. As it turns out, it was common practice at the time to dress the girls and boys alike until about the age of five. Madame Charpentier’s daughter, Georgette, is in the foreground on the family dog, Porthos. Seated beside his mother is her only son and family heir, Paul. Their father, Georges Charpentier, worked as an editor at his own publishing house. The parents eventually outlived their son and Georges sold off controlling interest in his company around 1895, the same year that Paul died at 20 years old.

The tour guide finished his presentation of the painting by asking the group what they see in Paul, their impressions of him in this family portrait. After a handful of observations he said he is always struck by the look on Paul’s face. Renoir’s ability to convey facial expressions is what captured him collective praise and adoration. “When I look at this painting, I see Paul’s tenderness, his love and adoration for his older sister.”

Me too.