Little Girl with Doll - Berthe BURGKAN (1855-1936)

Berthe BURGKAN (1855-1936)

Dated 1890, there is evidence of a pastel entitled Child with Doll at the 1891 Salon, which could be the one we are presenting here.
Our pastel was exhibited at the Musée de Vernon during the exhibition “La Ronde des bambins” (The Children's Round), June 3-August 27, 2023.

A student at the Académie Julian, she studied under the greatest painters of her time, such as Gustave Boulanger, Benjamin Constant, and Tony Robert Fleury.

From 1878 onwards, Burgkan exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français, as well as at the “Les Arts de la Femme” exhibitions, and continued to show her work until 1920.

In 1885, she received an honorable mention at the Salon, and at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition, she also received official recognition.

She became a member of the Société des Artistes Français in 1883.

In 1893, she participated in the prestigious World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The artist displayed her talent in classical floral compositions, more complex symbolic works, and pastels.

This work illustrates Berthe Burgkan's interest in intimate portraits and the representation of childhood, a theme that was popular in the second half of the 19th century.

The artist does not merely faithfully reproduce the child's physical features: she also captures its sensitivity, accurately conveying the innocence of childhood and its liveliness and character. The doll, discreetly integrated into the composition, reinforces the atmosphere of tenderness.

Contemporary critics wrote, “There is a very daring and very personal note of truth in these rosy-cheeked children's faces beneath their blond hair: the constant search for truth.”