Henry Le Jeune ARA, British 1819-1904- A welcome refreshment; oil on panel, signed with monogram and dated '1876' (lower right), 59 x 44.2 cm. Provenance: Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 30 March 1990, lot 507 (sold for £18,150). Note: Le Jeune is...

Henry Le Jeune ARA, British 1819-1904- A welcome refreshment; oil on panel, signed with monogram and dated '1876' (lower right), 59 x 44.2 cm. Provenance: Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 30 March 1990, lot 507 (sold for £18,150). Note: Le Jeune is celebrated for his large-scale historical paintings, often drawing on biblical and literary themes, as well as his genre scenes, which were particularly popular among contemporary audiences. The present work is typical of the artist's oeuvre, presenting a romanticised depiction of two children in a rural setting, and serving as an implicit celebration of innocence and simplicity. Throughout his lifetime Le Jeune’s works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution, and his paintings are now in the collections of Manchester Art Gallery, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, and the Wellcome Collection in London.