Artwork
Portrait of the Artist's Children Emma and Paul
Portrait of the Artist's Children Emma and Paul is an unspecified painting by the Neoclassicist artist Jean-Antoine Laurent. It dates from 1798 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and is catalogued under the distinctive historical genre of miniature.
The painting is a portrait miniature by Jean-Antoine Laurent, dated 1795. Executed in the tradition of French miniature portraiture, it depicts the artist’s children Emma and Paul with fine brushwork that emphasizes their youthful features. The composition is tightly framed, reflecting the intimate scale typical of works classified as miniatures.
The work belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and is catalogued under the distinctive historical genre of miniature.
History & Provenance
Portrait of the Artist's Children Emma and Paul is a portrait miniature painted by Jean-Antoine Laurent in 1795. The work is currently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is accessioned as 2012.56.a. No further details about its earlier ownership, commission, or provenance are provided in the available sources.
The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 2012.56.a. The work entered the museum’s holdings as a portrait miniature by Jean‑Antoine Laurent dated to 1795. It is classified as a portrait miniature, a genre Laurent practiced during the late eighteenth century, and is described as a small-scale oil on panel (or similar) depicting the artist’s children Emma and Paul. No exhibition history for this piece is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Jean-Antoine Laurent's 1798 painting, Portrait of the Artist's Children Emma and Paul, captures an intimate moment between his two young offspring. This work, now part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, exemplifies a personal approach to portraiture. It depicts the children in a composed yet naturalistic manner, reflecting the domestic sensibilities prevalent at the end of the 18th century.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features two children, identified as Emma and Paul, seated closely together. The elder child, with curly red-gold hair, wears a light-colored dress accented by a blue ribbon and holds a small book inscribed with the artist's surname, "Laurent." Beside her, the younger child, with pale blond hair, is dressed in a simple white garment and rests on a low stool. This detail of the book subtly personalizes the family connection.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Portrait of the Artist's Children Emma and Paul
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