Charles Monginot – Still Life “tea Time”, Fantin-latour Style, Chiaroscuro, 19th Century

This elegant 19th-century French still life, in the spirit of Henri Fantin-Latour's intimate compositions, illustrates Charles Monginot's talent for the poetic staging of everyday objects and the subtle rendering of materials.

Charles Monginot (1825-1900)
Tea Time Oil on canvas, signed lower left Dimensions: 46 × 38 cm
Frame : 65,5 x 57,5 cm
Dimensions du cadre
Period Napoleon III
frame Work authenticated

This elegant still life by Charles Monginot depicts a suspended, intimate, and silent moment: the instant before tea time. The scene is carefully constructed around a subtle interplay of textures and light. On a delicately lit white tablecloth, a copper samovar occupies the right side of the composition, rendered with great finesse in a warm chiaroscuro. Its red and golden reflections shimmer against the dark background.
In the foreground, a parisian brioche, still untouched, adds a touch of sweetness and narrative.
To the left, a porcelain cup and saucer, accompanied by a matching sugar bowl, finely decorated with green floral garlands and highlighted with gold, capture the light through the brilliant white of the porcelain.
A small silver teaspoon, resting on the tablecloth, catches a final glimmer of light and contributes to the overall hushed and poetic atmosphere.
This work perfectly illustrates Monginot's talent for rendering materials (copper, porcelain, silver, textiles) and for creating a soft, controlled, reflected light, a signature of his style.

About the artist:
Charles Monginot was a 19th-century French painter, appreciated for his still lifes and intimate scenes, where everyday objects become sensitive and elegant compositions. His work was recognized in his own time: several of his works were acquired by the State and are now held in national collections, notably at the Musée d'Orsay.
Among the works held in the reserves of the Musée d'Orsay are:
*Still Life (circa 1853)
*After the Hunt (1864)
*Portrait of the Artist's Mother
*Marie Alexandrovna in a Sleigh.
This museum presence constitutes a significant mark of institutional recognition.

Condition:
Very good overall condition.
Please note:
*a very small, old restoration, visible only on the reverse (a small piece of fabric patch, 1 x 2 cm), with no visual impact on the painted surface.
*Craquencies.

A refined and narrative 19th-century French still life. Beautiful mastery of chiaroscuro and textures.