A Striking Encounter

A Striking Encounter by Paul Charles Chocarne-Moreau

Introduction from Rehs Galleries biography of M. Chocarne-Moreau:

Perhaps to the surprise of many, the iconic images of the fascinating and mischievously comical lives of young boys and girls imagined by Norman Rockwell during the early 1900s, were neither a wholly American invention, nor were they the first to treat the subject of children in such a humorous and anecdotal manner.  Prefiguring the immensely popular imagery of Rockwell, Paul-Charles Chocarne-Moreau introduced the French public to the secret scenes of young boys at play, recalling for his audiences the playful deceptiveness that characterized the age of youth.  Interest in children and their development had been increasing throughout the nineteenth century and Chocarne-Moreau harnessed this interest to create images that both capitalized upon and popularized this preoccupation.