Gabrielle and Jean — Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1895–96 | Postcard

Gabrielle Renard, the cousin who came to the Renoir household as a nanny in 1894, kneels beside the artist's small son Jean — the future filmmaker — as he turns a tiny toy figure over in his hands. The mood is unceremonious and warm; Renoir keeps the foreground close, almost as if you were sitting on the rug beside them. The painting lives at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris.

The card is for parents, godparents, and anyone sending a note about a child who is learning the world one object at a time.

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