Description:
Emile Auguste Wéry (1868-1935) was a French artist who graduated from the Académie Julian in Paris. For years, he was friends with Henri Matisse, who occupied neighboring studios in Paris in the 1890s. He regularly exhibited his works at the Salon des Artistes Français, where he was awarded. He worked in the naturalism style, inspired by Impressionism. He mainly painted views of Brittany.

Description of the painting: The artist depicts a girl in a sitting position, up to her knees. She is wearing a traditional Breton costume – a navy dress with long sleeves and a white apron, as well as a colorful vest. Her head is covered with a cap in the same colors. The girl is sitting in a careless pose, slightly hunched. In her hands, which are resting on her knees, she holds a doll dressed the same as her. The child’s face is shown in a half-profile, her eyes gazing into the distance. The background of the child is green vegetation.

The artist used an intense palette of colors in the painting. The way he applies the paint, with thick brushstrokes, gives the work a texture. The model, named Meloe, is looking into the distance, as if absent. She appears to be thoughtful, lost in her own world. This invites the viewer to reflect on the child’s musings. This relates to the themes taken up by artists at the end of the century – the unity with nature and the reflections on the times to come.