Q134728421

This 1848 panel by Hamon in the Musée Magnin forms a pair with the canvas of the same year in the same collection, suggesting the two works may have been conceived together — possibly as companion pieces exploring the same subject or contrasting themes, or as exercises in different supports undertaken during a single period of production. The choice of panel rather than canvas in one of the pair is notable: panel was associated with smaller-scale work, closer finish, and a certain Flemish or early Italian seriousness that differentiated panel painting from more freely handled canvas work. For a young painter in 1848 still defining his approach, working on both supports simultaneously might reflect an experimental attitude to material choices that would later resolve into the predominantly canvas-based practice of his mature career.

Panel support allows a harder, smoother surface than canvas and responds differently to fine brushwork. Any comparison between this panel and the accompanying canvas reveals Hamon's sensitivity to support qualities — the panel version may show tighter detail and a more polished finish in the same subject matter.