Artwork
Choosing the Dinner
Choosing the Dinner is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Alexander Louis Leloir. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, the canvas format and oil medium are consistent with the academic studio practice of the period.
Choosing the Dinner is executed in oil paint on canvas, a traditional combination well suited to Leloir's detailed genre scenes. The work is modest in scale, measuring 31.1 cm in height by 46.7 cm in width, with the horizontal format supporting a narrative composition across its surface.
The painting belongs to the genre tradition, depicting a man and a bird within a tightly observed scene. Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, the canvas format and oil medium are consistent with the academic studio practice of the period.
History & Provenance
Alexander Louis Leloir created the oil painting Choosing the Dinner in 1872. Executed on canvas, the work measures 31.1 cm in height and 46.7 cm in width. The painting depicts a man and a bird, rendered in oil paint. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Overview
Alexandre-Louis Leloir, a French artist recognized for his genre and history paintings, completed "Choosing the Dinner" in 1872. This oil painting depicts a rustic scene featuring two figures amidst various birds. The artwork is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a facet of late 19th-century French art.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays two men within a simple, rural environment, possibly a barn or courtyard, marked by a wooden structure in the background. One man sits on the ground, while the other stands, holding a bird. They are surrounded by various fowl, suggesting a moment of selection or preparation related to a meal, capturing an everyday domestic activity.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Alexandre-Louis Leloir (14 March 1843 – 28 January 1884) was a French painter specializing in genre and history paintings.
