57 - François-Marie FIRMIN-GIRARD (1838–1921)

François-Marie FIRMIN-GIRARD (1838–1921) First Communion in Charlieu, 1888 Oil on canvas Titled on the back: "First Communion" 54 x 77 cm Minor imperfections and losses Our painting is another version of "First Communion in Charlieu," which was exhibited at the 1888 Salon. Our version is smaller in size than the one held by the Society of Friends of Charlieu. It depicts the First Communion of Jeanne, the artist’s daughter; the young girl is on her mother’s arm, and behind her, the painter’s son, Marc, is wearing the uniform of the students at the Stannislas School in Paris. We thank Patrick FAUCHEUR for confirming the authenticity of the work. It will be included in the artist’s catalog raisonné. Born in Poncin, in the Ain department, François-Marie Firmin-Girard was a French painter of the second half of the 19th century, trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Charles Gleyre and Jean-Léon Gérôme. Winner of the Second Grand Prix de Rome in 1861, he enjoyed a distinguished career at the Salon, where he exhibited regularly beginning in 1859. Appreciated for his genre scenes, landscapes, and depictions of Parisian life, he developed an elegant and luminous style of painting, characterized by precise drawing, rich detail, and a delicate palette. His works are now part of several museum collections, notably at the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Carnavalet in Paris, the Musée du Monastère Royal de Brou in Bourg-en-Bresse, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Brou. Expert: Olivier HOUG