Maurice Robert as a Child 1857

Curator: Before us we have "Maurice Robert as a Child," a lovely oil on canvas painted by Camille Corot in 1857. Editor: It’s strikingly melancholic. The muted tones and oval framing give it a sort of locket-like intimacy, but the boy's serious expression counters that. Curator: It's important to consider the conventions of portraiture during this period. Portraiture of children, particularly, became a status symbol for the rising middle class during the mid-19th century, signifying prosperity and domesticity. Editor: The toy trumpet the boy holds speaks to that as well. While ostensibly a symbol of innocence, it also hints at future ambition. Trumpets historically are associated with announcements and declarations of intent. Is he declaring who he wants to be? Curator: That's fascinating, but in this particular moment he's posed in a domestic space. The toy suggests an interest, and as such the family's support. However, I think the lack of playfulness aligns more with the traditions of adult portraiture, emphasizing lineage and position rather than personality. Children of wealthy families would have had tutors from childhood; his posture speaks of an academic setting. Editor: I agree there's a formal quality about the composition, yet I’m still drawn to the object of the toy as more than an object, in that he is actually holding the toy. Even if we're reading into his posture through an art-historical lens, that moment of "holding the toy" represents something between the child himself, and that larger legacy. I wonder if that feeling in between childhood and something larger is where the melancholy lies? Curator: I can understand that sentiment. This portrait, with its careful depiction of a child posed within the strictures of its time, is indicative of the changing landscape of 19th-century European culture, in which families want to leave some type of legacy to their families. Editor: Exactly. And through Corot's lens, this child’s portrait feels imbued with this sense of self, and this possible inheritance of a world where there is no more private identity. Thank you. Curator: An insightful conclusion. I am forever amazed by what is found in Corot’s subtle imagery.