Félix Lorioux - The Mother Mouse, Circa 1920

Framed artwork in a contemporary style, under UV-protective glass. pH-neutral materials.

Description of the artwork
This watercolor depicts a family of mice gathered in a delicately observed and meticulously detailed natural setting. At the center of the composition stands a maternal figure, a true mother mouse, whose calm and protective posture organizes the entire scene. Crowned with small flowers, she delicately holds a feathery and fragile pom-pom, like a precious object offered for the youngest members of the family.

Beside her, a mouse wearing a blue checkered apron, with round glasses perched on her nose, stands out with her endearing seriousness. Two small mice, seen from behind in the foreground, seem to silently witness this family moment, reinforcing the impression of an intimate and reassuring instant, shared in an atmosphere of gentleness.

The richness of the plant life, rendered with great finesse, envelops the figures without ever overpowering them. Flowers, foliage, and insects all contribute to the creation of a harmonious and benevolent world, where the anthropomorphized animal becomes the vehicle for a simple and universal emotion.

A major illustrator of the early 20th century, Félix Lorioux is renowned for his talent as a humorous illustrator and for his close connection to the world of childhood. His work is characterized by great narrative sensitivity, subtle humor, and a rare ability to create images that are accessible, reassuring, and of high graphic quality.

He notably worked for the famous Saint-Michel biscuit brand, an iconic brand in the French popular imagination, for which he developed an immediately recognizable, warm, and joyful graphic universe. At the same time, he illustrated numerous children's books, including several widely distributed editions of Jean de La Fontaine's fables, published and republished in the first quarter of the 20th century.

Without illustrating a specific text, this watercolor belongs to a French tradition where subtly humanized animals evoke a familiar and moral world, akin to that of the great classical fables, without explicit literary reference. The gentleness of the scene, the mastery of watercolor, and the quality of the drawing lend the work a profoundly comforting dimension, now rare.

Framing and Conservation
The work is presented in a contemporary frame, created for its loan to a museum exhibition. The framing strictly adheres to the preventive conservation standards in force in national museums, using UV-resistant glass and pH-neutral materials, guaranteeing the protection and stability of the paper over time.

Provenance
Family collection of a renowned printer, Loire-Atlantique, France