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Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
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Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton

  • This amusing painting was composed by the Academic artist Victor Marais-Milton
  • Marais-Milton was a master of the cardinal genre, which satirized the worldly riches of the Church
  • He captures the lavish lifestyle of these cardinals with his meticulous eye for detail
  • Get complete item description here
$48,500
Item No. 31-9159

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Description
Victor Marais-Milton
1872-1948 | French

Cardinals Playing Cards

Signed "V. Marais-Milton" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

Two red-robed cardinals engage in a friendly game of cards in this oil on canvas by the French painter Victor Marais-Milton. The vibrantly hued piece illustrates the artist’s genius at rendering charming narratives in remarkable detail. Entitled Cardinals Playing Cards, the work is a superb example of Marais-Milton's technical virtuosity—from the lace table covering to the. . .
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Victor Marais-Milton
1872-1948 | French

Cardinals Playing Cards

Signed "V. Marais-Milton" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

Two red-robed cardinals engage in a friendly game of cards in this oil on canvas by the French painter Victor Marais-Milton. The vibrantly hued piece illustrates the artist’s genius at rendering charming narratives in remarkable detail. Entitled Cardinals Playing Cards, the work is a superb example of Marais-Milton's technical virtuosity—from the lace table covering to the finely carved furniture to the marble fireplace in the background, every detail is meticulously depicted. With his incredible attention to detail, Marais-Milton has crafted a clever story in a sumptuous style that still captivates today.

Such works satirizing the clergy would have been severely censured just a generation earlier. Yet, by the time Marais-Milton picked up the brush, the French public had grown discontent with the hypocrisy of the clergy, many of whom enjoyed lavish lifestyles. Cardinal paintings such as this became highly popular during the period, and Marais-Milton emerged alongside Georges Croegaert, Marcel Brunery and Jehan Georges Vibert as the leading painters of the genre.

Born in 1872 just outside of Paris, Marais-Milton was a student of Ernest Meissonnier, one of the most important genre painters of his generation. Marais-Milton naturally adopted the style of his mentor, and he worked in this fashion throughout his career. Similar to other clergy painters, much of his output centered on anecdotal depictions of cardinal painters. It is for these works that he is best remembered today.

Canvas: 19 3/8" high x 23 3/8" wide (49.21 x 59.37 cm)
Frame: 27" high x 31" wide (68.58 x 78.74 cm)
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Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
Maker: Marais-Milton, Victor
Period: 1816-1918
Origin: France
Type: Paintings
Style: Academic
Depth: 3.88 in. (9.84 cm)
Width: 31.0 in. (78.74 cm)
Height: 27.0 in. (68.58 cm)
Canvas Width: 23.375 in. (59.37 cm)
Canvas Height: 19.375 in. (49.21 cm)
Cardinals Playing Cards by Victor Marais-Milton
Croegaert, Georges

Belgian painter Georges Croegaert mastered the academic style in his lifetime (1848 – 1923), spending most of his expansive career in Paris. He is most well-known for his genre paintings depicting elegant, high-society...

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Buy with Confidence

At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.

Learn More

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