Children Dancing
1650
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Mathieu Le Nain
Mathieu Le Nain (1607–1677) was a French artist, born in Laon.
See the richer artist page1650
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Children Dancing is a 1650 unspecified by Mathieu Le Nain, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a group of children posing in a chain-like formation, with a musician sitting in the shadows behind them. The children seem to be waiting for something to happen, and the musician's presence suggests that music and dance are about to start. This painting is interesting because it shows a quiet moment before a potentially lively scene. Check out the technique of chiaroscuro to learn more about how artists use light and dark to create depth in their work.
Antoine, Louis, and Mathieu Le Nain were brothers who ran a collective studio in Paris from around 1630 until 1648, when Antoine and Louis died. Mathieu continued to produce work under their name "Le Nain" throughout the 1650s. Of the museum's four paintings that have been called "Le Nain" (1958.174, 1958.175.1, 1958.175.2), this work has held its attribution to Mathieu the longest. With his back to the viewer, a musician sits in shadow while a group of children pose patiently in a chain-like formation, awaiting the start of their dance. Because of its reliance on order and collaboration,…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Mathieu Le Nain (1607–1677) was a French artist, born in Laon.
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