William Bouguereau

Arthur Tooth & Sons, London (acquired directly from the artist on October 7, 1888, and entered into their inventory, no. 1112, on November 17 as Faith)
Tellors (acquired from the above in April, 1889)
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, April 2, 1976, lot 168
MacConnal Mason & Son, London
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, October 28, 1986, lot 89B, illustrated
Private Collection, Japan (acquired at the above sale)

The artist's accounts (as Une tête avec mains, enfant 9 ans)
Oeuvres choisies des maîtres anciens et moderns, (illustrated catalogue published by Braun & Clément), n.d., no. 3201 (as Jeanne)
Marius Vachon, W. Bouguereau, Paris, 1900, p. 156 (as Jeanne)
Mark Steven Walker, "William-Adolphe Bouguereau, A Summary Catalogue of the Paintings," William-Adolphe Bouguereau, L'Art Pompier, exh. cat., Borghi & Co., New York, 1992, p. 73
Damien Bartoli with Frederick Ross, William Bouguereau, Catalogue Raisonné of his Painted Works, New York, 2010, pp. 248-9, no. 1888/08, illustrated p. 249

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This canvas has been lined and the lining is successful. When the painting was restored, perhaps 20-30 years ago, restorations were applied which have blanched over the years. The cheek of the figure and her neck are paler than Bouguereau would have intended and there is probably a thin glaze added here which has blanched. The same can be said of some of the work in the left wrist, hand and the sleeve on the right side. The painting should be cleaned and the retouches should be more thoughtfully and accurately applied. Despite the restoration that has been applied, it does not appear that this is a picture with problems and these restorations are more than likely highly exaggerated.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

In his accounts of 1888, Bouguereau recorded the present work as "une tête avec mains, enfant 9 ans."  While the young girl was probably from La Rochelle it is uncertain if she is same "Jeanne" who frequently appears alone or with her sister Yvonne (see lot 42) in works of the 1890s and through the turn of the century (Ross with Bartoli, p. 249).  Bouguereau places his model against a sylvan background, its deep shadows broken by a glimpse of blue sky and the soft pinks of climbing flowers.  Against this dark background the whites of the young girl's chemise and soft peaches of her skin are illuminated with a soft light to create both dimension and mood.  While the model's exact identity is unknown, this "enfant" is unmistakably among Bouguereau's masterful and evocative depictions of youth.