Little pet

(1825 Andelys – 1891 Paris) Little Pet. A charming, delicately colored portrait of a young girl in a soft, white, form-fitting dress, tenderly holding a cat in her arms and gazing sweetly and directly at the viewer. This is a finely crafted work by Chaplin, a motif the artist often depicted, including a variant with a dog. Trained by Michel-Martin Drölling, Chaplin initially created landscapes but later devoted himself to so-called salon painting in the tradition of works by François Boucher (1703-1770). Oil on canvas mounted on panel; signed; 54.7 cm x 37.7 cm. In a frame.