Hope
by PUVIS DE CHAVANNES, Pierre-Cécile, Oil on canvas, 71 x 82 cm
A larger version of this painting (Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore) was exhibited at the 1872 Salon.
Even though Puvis declared the “true role of painting is to animate walls. Apart from that, one should never create paintings larger than one’s hand”, his catalogue is not limited to decorative works. Adapting his principles of decoration, he produced a number of easel paintings, most of which were sold through the dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. Among these works are the two versions of Hope.