The Brothers Le Nain exhibit at the Kimbell Museum

THE BROTHERS LE NAIN:
PAINTERS OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY FRANCE

The current exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum, is titled "The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of Seventeenth-Century France".  The Travelling Toe and a Dear Friend decided to escape the North Texas heat index and take advantage of the cool air at the Kimbell Art Museum, while also enjoying the current exhibit on display.

The Kimbell's brochure describes the exhibit as follows:

The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of Seventeenth-Century France, is the first major exhibition to the United States devoted to the Le Nain brothers - Antoine, Louis and Mathieu- who were active in Paris during the 1630's and 1640's.  More than fifty of their best paintings highlight the brothers' full range of production, with altarpieces, private devotional paintings, portraits and those poignant images of peasants on which their celebrity rests. 

The Le Nain brothers have long been shrouded in mystery.  Little is known of their lives and the attribution of their paintings to the hands of the indicidual brothers has been hotly debated.  

We found the paintings to be very interesting.  They are somewhat dark in color but vibrant in so many other ways.  A shock of red or light beaming into the setting or the expression on the models faces brought the paintings to life.  

We both agreed that our favorites were the paintings done on copper plates used as a canvas.  The paintings looked liked as if they were done just the day before because they looked so fresh and vivid.  There are several of these types of paintings displayed in one of the gallery rooms.  

We did learn there is a 3-step process to paint on copper.   After the copper plate has been prepared, the scene is then sketched on the plate, then paint is layered, and finally finishing touches are added.

The Travelling Toe must admit that one favorite theme of the brothers Le Nain, was the inclusion of  little dogs, and sometimes cats, in the family scenes.  So, Dear Readers, animals were a part of everyday family life even in 17th Century France.  

We spent almost 2 hours walking around the exhibit, discussing the paintings and trying to choose a favorite.  It is astonishing that these paintings have survived for almost 400 years!

C.D Dickerson III, was the curator at the Kimbell who helped organize the exhibit is quoted as saying, "This is what I enjoy doing - looking at material that hasn't been under the microscope and bringing it to the public's attention and trying to present it in a captivating way". 

We think he certainly achieved that goal!  Sad to say that Mr. Dickerson is now at the Nation Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and not longer at the Kimbell.

Le Nain
"Children Dancing 1642"
from the Kimbell exhibition material