| Description |  |
Enjoying large and enthusiastic attendance, the Salon exhibition became important to French artists as a venue for displaying their work to potential clients. This new buying public sought paintings more appropriate to private homes than the large historical pictures commissioned by the government. In response to these demands, there was a proliferation of smaller cabinet pictures shown in the Salon - a trend at times lamented by critics with higher ideals.
The term "cabinet picture" generally refers to small-scale paintings intended for display in collectors' private rooms. Cabinet pictures, like those hanging in this gallery, usually illustrate scenes from daily life and humorous and amorous subjects. Often characterized by bright colors and a high degree of finish, these paintings reveal the private taste for charm and delicacy in both subject and execution. |
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