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A Nun Seated at a Table Knitting
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François Bonvin was a prolific watercolorist, and he developed a lifelong interest in modest religious subjects showing scenes of everyday life. This delightfully simple image of a nun knitting reveals the artist's appreciation for 17th-century Dutch artists such as Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), whose work he copied.
| Artist / Maker | François Bonvin |
|---|---|
| Date | 1862 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | gouache and watercolor |
| Dimensions | Sheet: 21.3 x 17.2 cm (8 3/8 x 6 3/4 in.) |
| Department | Drawings |
| Type | Drawing |
About the Artist
Born into a poor family, François Bonvin was chiefly a self-taught artist. His childhood was an unhappy one, marked by the death of his mother when he was four, his father's remarriage, and the growing family's constant moving and change of fortune. From 1828 through 1830 he was lucky enough to be sent to the École de Dessin in Paris, but his artistic education was short-lived and he began working as a typesetter in 1832. He became a father one… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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