Antique "L'Enfant" Painting

The flicker of candlelight. The hush of velvet-draped rooms. A child’s solemn gaze fixed forever on the canvas—both tender and ever-so-slightly unsettling.

Acquired in Belgium, this antique oil painting (circa the early 1880s) captures a young sitter in muted tones, a work at once intimate and haunting. The child’s steady eyes and composed expression suggest the serious nature of portraiture in the 19th century, when even the smallest subjects were painted with the gravity of their elders. Painted for the child's father, Victor Joseph Gilain Quinet, the sitter is Désirée Marie Victorine Josephe Quinet, his youngest child and only daughter.

Timeworn with just the right patina, this piece brings an undeniable presence—commanding the room with a mood that is equal parts charm and mystery.

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. Oil on canvas. 15.75"L x 13"W.  In good antique condition with wear to the paint, frame, and damage to the backing as shown in the alternative images.