PERRAULT, Léon-Jean-Bazille

French painter, born to a modest family. A student of William Bouguereau and François-Edouard Picot, he exhibited at the Salon from 1863 onwards, producing many genre works which were immensely popular. He was famous for his paintings of children. His focus on children, who he saw as innocent and charming, appealed to the growing cult of childhood that saw children not as miniature adults but as beings with their own characteristics.

Perrault continued to exhibit at the Salons until the end of his career. In 1887 he was awarded France’s high honour and named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. At the Expositions Universelles of 1889 and 1900, he received a bronze and silver medal, respectively. In 1873 he was appointed to represent France as “Diplômât d’honneur” to Vienna, Philadelphia and London. He also became a member of the Société des Artistes Français and by the end of his career was “hors concours” at the Salon, allowing him to exhibit freely without the necessity of submitting work for jury acceptance.