Le Baiser

French artist Carolus-Duran created this tender depiction of maternal affection showing a mother leaning down to kiss her young child. The painting's title, "Le Baiser" (The Kiss), captures an intimate domestic moment rendered with the polished technique and fluid brushwork that made Carolus-Duran one of the most sought-after portrait painters in late 19th-century Paris. The soft handling of flesh tones and fabrics demonstrates his technical mastery.

Born Charles Auguste Émile Durand, Carolus-Duran studied in Paris and traveled to Spain, where Velázquez's work deeply influenced his approach to painting. He became famous for society portraits and ran an influential teaching atelier where John Singer Sargent became his most celebrated pupil, later surpassing his master in fame. This painting hangs at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille in northern France, which holds one of France's largest art collections after the Louvre.