Ernest Rouart (1874–1942), Girl with a dog 60x50 cm, French Impressionist in the Degas–Manet circle

Ernest Rouart (1874–1942) was a French Impressionist painter who grew up in a unique artistic environment. His father Henri Rouart, a close friend of Degas, collected works by Corot, Courbet, Manet, Morisot and Gauguin. Surrounded from childhood by these masterpieces, Ernest developed his eye in direct contact with the Impressionist world.

Degas, who almost never accepted pupils, made an exception for Rouart and guided him through drawing and the study of the Old Masters. In 1900, Rouart married Julie Manet, daughter of Berthe Morisot and niece of Édouard Manet, thus joining one of the most emblematic families of French painting.

His painting style reflects intimacy and delicacy. Although he painted in oil, his surfaces often recall the soft pastel effects of Degas, with softened contours and luminous tones. Rouart preferred family scenes, gardens and portraits, expressed with a bright palette and joyful colors.

Rouart was not only a painter but also a custodian of Impressionism. He preserved part of his father’s collection, organized major retrospectives on Degas, Manet and Morisot, and together with Julie Manet enriched French museums with important donations to the Louvre and the Musée de l’Orangerie.

This painting, signed lower right in red, shows a girl with a straw hat and a dog in a flowering garden. Red and yellow tones of the flowerbeds contrast vividly with the darker background. Some minor paint liftings, probably due to experimental techniques, were stabilized by a professional restorer, ensuring the good conservation of the work.

Presented in a Florentine carved and gilded frame. Dimensions: 60 x 50 cm without frame, 71 x 61 cm with frame.