Portrait of Germaine Faipoult de Maisoncelle and Her Daughter Julie Playing the Spinet
Artist
Gioacchino Giuseppe Serangeli
(Italian, 1768-1852)
Dateca. 1799
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions75 5/8 x 50 3/8 in. (192.1 x 128 cm)
Overall, Frame: 87 x 61 1/2 in. (221 x 156.2 cm)
Overall, Frame: 87 x 61 1/2 in. (221 x 156.2 cm)
ClassificationsEuropean art
Credit LinePurchase and Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., Walter Beineke, Jr., Mr. Edward J. Brickhouse, Mr. Morrie A. Moss, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Gordon Miller, Mr. Per Madsen, and Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Garbaty, by Exchange
Object number2005.11
Terms
- Women
- Children
- Musical Instruments
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextGioacchino Giuseppe Serangeli Italian, 1768–1852 Portrait of Germaine Faipoult de Maisoncelle and her Daughter Julie Playing the Spinet, ca. 1799 Oil on canvas Although they look casual, Germaine de Maisoncelle and her daughter have been carefully coded with gestures and symbols that celebrate Germaine’s virtues as a good mother. By presiding over Julie’s music making, she reveals her devotion to educating her daughter in the womanly arts. The harmony of Julie’s music symbolizes the deeper, emotional harmony between mother and daughter, while Germaine’s barely concealed breast emphasizes her maternal devotion. The artist drew on Christian symbols of motherly devotion to show these familial bonds, but he also depicted Germaine in brilliant robes that evoke ancient Roman dress—a nod to the elite family’s fashionable Neoclassical style. Museum purchase and gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., Walter Beineke, Jr., Mr. Edward J. Brickhouse, Mr. Morrie A. Moss, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Gordon Miller, Mr. Per Madsen, and Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Garbaty, by exchange 2005.11
