1874, Edouard Dantan, Monk Sculpting a Wooden Christ -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum/exhibition label:
Salon 1874, no. 51
A monk, holding a chisel and hammer, pauses in the process of carving a wooden sculpture of Christ on the cross. Wood shavings in the foreground and a mixture of carpentry tools and religious objects around his cell signal the monk's piety and industry. This painting presents an unconventional view of religious devotion. Dantan's father and uncle were both sculptors, so the subject of a sculptor at work held personal significance for him.
Although he aspired to be a history painter, this unpretentious painting brought Dantan his first success. It earned a third-class medal at the 1874 Salon and was purchased by the French government for 1,500 francs.
1874, Edouard Dantan, Monk Sculpting a Wooden Christ -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum/exhibition label:
Salon 1874, no. 51
A monk, holding a chisel and hammer, pauses in the process of carving a wooden sculpture of Christ on the cross. Wood shavings in the foreground and a mixture of carpentry tools and religious objects around his cell signal the monk's piety and industry. This painting presents an unconventional view of religious devotion. Dantan's father and uncle were both sculptors, so the subject of a sculptor at work held personal significance for him.
Although he aspired to be a history painter, this unpretentious painting brought Dantan his first success. It earned a third-class medal at the 1874 Salon and was purchased by the French government for 1,500 francs.