Who created "The Conversation"?

The Conversation was created by Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin in 1875–79.

When was "The Conversation" created?

This artwork was created 1875–79.

What medium is "The Conversation"?

The Conversation is Oil on canvas.

The Conversation

Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin

1875–79

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

55.5 × 38 cm (21 13/16 × 14 15/16 in.); Framed: 69.5 × 52.1 × 8.9 cm (27 3/8 × 20 1/2 × 3 1/2 in.)

Classification

painting

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Accession Number

21165

Art Historical Context

Marcellin Gilbert Desbout’s *The Conversation* (187–79) captures a moment of intimate exchange in oil on canvas, a medium that allowed the French artist to explore texture and light with remarkable subtlety. Measuring just 55.5 × 38 cm, this modestly scaled painting invites viewers close, evoking the cozy parlors of 19th-century France. Desboutin, a multifaceted talent known for his work in painting, printmaking, and even acting, bridged Realism and the emerging Impressionist circle, counting Edgar Degas among his friends. Created during the vibrant final decades of the Second Empire and earl...

The Conversation

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