Following the 1879 centennial, the first place for artists in America to show was Paris other than New York (Mantoux 2015 p 32). At the close of the nineteenth century, the Salon at Paris was the most significant space of exhibition within the Western world. Many artists around the globe submitted their most celebrated works to its exhibition annually. The success of an artist was an indication of them being accepted. Thousands of paperwork, sculptures, and paintings were presented at every Salon. The hall of the exhibition was very crowded, and even some pictures hung from the ceiling while some sculptures were scattered all over.
One of the paintings at the ACMA was that of a portrait of a girl with a dog (Mantoux 2015 p 54). The artist of the picture is Ernest Etienne Narjot. Ernest was an artist in America during the 19th century. He created many great paintings of the landscape of California, especially the Gold country and its life .Even though he is popularly known for the Gold Rush Scenes and experiences in early California, the artist actively produced portraits particularly of children within outside settings. The subject of this particular painting is still anonymous. Her pierced ears and dark hair indicate that the girl was likely Hispanic while her informal dress suggests more of a family portrait than a work of a commissioner. The painting’s date and her age rule out her being the daughter of the artist. Nonetheless, Narjot usually incorporates a dog in all children portraits.
The portrait was made using oil paint and canvas board. The canvas was combined with hardwood to create a canvas board. The painting, which was easily made, gave the canvas texture with the hardboard’s rigidity. The technique involved oil-dispensed pigments to paint. The beginning of oil painting was unknown. However, there were signs of its use in Western Europe in the 12th century (Mantoux 2015 p 151). It was commonly used during the Renaissance period.
Relevance of the portrait to the world of Louis Prang
During the era of Renaissance, many artists started to employ many techniques to illustrate a variety of subjects including love. Louis Prang who lived during this period created his Valentine card using the chromolithography process. Although his painting resembles a right oil color painting, it was an image made of stone and involved many types of color printed lithography. This technique became common in the 19th century, the same time Ernest produced his magnificent portrait of a girl with a dog. This portrait was an actual oil painting on canvas board. Prang’s work was inspired by the world he lived in during Industrial revolution period. He incorporated the cultural beliefs and background of this period in the lithographic production of his work. The artist’s work matched the canon, nostalgia, sentimentalism of the cuteness that was characteristic of the designs of the Victorian period. During this period, babies, and young children were used to symbolizing the existence of actual love around individuals (Mantoux 2015 p 137). Narjot did many portraits of children. The industrial Revolution innovation resulted in mass production of color paintings and bright printed images. An example of such work was Louis prang’s Valentine caerd1883 and Narjot’s portrait of the girl with a dog (Mantoux 2015 p 155). The image of the portrait of a girl with a dog by Narjot reflects the culture and beliefs of the 19th
century during which Louis Prang’s work was inspired by the same context.
Works Cited
Mantoux, Paul. Industrial Revolution In the Eighteenth Century. [Place Of Publication Not Identified], Routledge, 2015,
Image of Portrait of a Girl with a Dog
Source: https://collections.lacma.org/node/230543
