"the Schoolmaster" Oil On Canvas, 18th Century

Oil on canvas, 18th century, French school, depicting a line of children handing in their homework to the teacher, or perhaps a bearded monk, who holds a bundle of twigs before a student handing over their paper. The scene is set in a modest room with minimal lighting, giving depth to the figures. It is in the style of Gerrit or Gerard Dou's "Schoolmaster" of 1645 and many other depictions of the classroom where the rod is never far away, as permitted by this "Contract between the Master and the Parish in 1788 (Combs-La-Ville): Punishments and rewards 'must be administered in a spirit of charity': For 'ordinary faults,' he may make the children kneel, and in cases of repeated offenses, use the rod or canes, but he is forbidden to strike the children on the head or slap them. As a last resort, he may administer the whip, out of the presence of the other children, after class." Good condition, antique frame