Artwork
The Siesta
The Siesta is an unspecified painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Albert Besnard. It dates from 1905 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
As a painting classified within the early 20th-century French tradition, the piece reflects the artist's established handling of the medium during this period.
Created in 1905, The Siesta is an oil painting executed by Paul-Albert Besnard in France. The work is presented on a canvas support measuring 65.5 cm in height and 53.7 cm in width. As a painting classified within the early 20th-century French tradition, the piece reflects the artist's established handling of the medium during this period.
The precise physical dimensions and materials confirm its status as a traditional easel painting held in a major institutional collection.
History & Provenance
The Siesta, a painting by Paul-Albert Besnard, was created in 1905 in France. The work subsequently entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under accession number 1946.280, indicating that it was accessioned by the museum in 1946. The painting measures 65.5 cm in height by 53.7 cm in width. No further details regarding its commission, intermediate ownership, or earlier provenance are documented in the available sources.
The Siesta, painted by Paul-Albert Besnard in 1905, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work is cataloged under the accession number 1946.280. As of the provided records, the painting remains part of the museum's permanent holdings.
Overview
Paul‑Albert Besnard’s 1905 oil painting The Siesta is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work presents a tranquil waterside scene bathed in daylight, where three white birds glide across the surface of a pond framed by distant trees. The composition conveys a quiet, leisurely atmosphere typical of early‑twentieth‑century French landscape painting.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a restful moment beside a pond, suggested by the title’s reference to a midday nap. The presence of the floating birds and the calm water underscores themes of stillness and the gentle passage of time, inviting viewers to pause and observe the subtle interplay of light and nature.
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Artist & collection
Willows at a pond
Woman in a Park
Abramtsevo. Forest shore
In the apple tree
Study from Maryino
De gevallen engel
Garden of the Bakhchi-Dere villa in Yalta. From the journey to Crimea
Women Bathing
La umbra copacilor
Nainen rannalla
Sketch for the painting “Procession around the Venus de Milo statue”- The Siesta