19th century · Daily life, childhood and story of the Salon

The academic genre scene transforms work, childhood and family life into readable stories, carefully drawn and designed to reach the Salon's audience.

In the traditional hierarchy, the genre scene comes after history painting: it represents everyday life rather than heroes, saints or gods. In the 19th century, its commercial and cultural importance became considerable. Bouguereau, Breton, Tissot, Dagnan-Bouveret and many artists painted children, farmers, artisans, interiors and encounters with an ambitious finish. The story is often based on a simple gesture: knitting, gleaning, sharing cherries, holding a nest or taking a break from work. The story is often based on a simple gesture: knitting, gleaning, sharing cherries, holding a nest or taking a break from work. The story is often based on a simple gesture: knitting, gleaning, sharing cherries, holding a nest or taking a break from work. The story is often based on a simple gesture: knitting, gleaning, sharing cherries, holding a nest or taking a break from work. Costumes, tools and objects help to situate class, region and moment. Certain works idealize rural poverty for a clientele urban; others introduce social observation, photography or naturalism. The collection therefore invites us to distinguish tenderness, picturesqueness, work and social representation, rather than treating all these scenes as transparent documents. The "Academic genre scenes" selection notably compares La Petite Tricoteuse (1874) and Faneuse (1870). Its reading favors the material.

The academic genre scene seems familiar, but every detail - pose, clothing, object and setting - carefully constructs the way this life should be viewed.