Mère et enfant priant et étude subsidiaire de main et d’un enfant assis 1870

This pencil drawing, "Mère et enfant priant et étude subsidiaire de main et d’un enfant assis" (Mother and Child Praying and Subsidiary Study of Hand and a Sitting Child) by the French Academic painter William Bouguereau, dates to 1870. Bouguereau was known for his idealized depictions of the human form, often portraying scenes of religious devotion. This preliminary sketch, executed in soft, delicate lines, reveals the artist’s process of capturing the human figure with meticulous precision. The mother, cloaked in a flowing gown, cradles her young child in a tender embrace, suggesting a moment of prayerful contemplation.