Marie-François Firmin-Girard (French, 1838–1921)
Tending to the Geese, 1878
Oil on canvas
25.9 × 19.7 in
Signed and dated lower right
Set within a richly colored autumn woodland, Tending to the Geese presents a quiet rural moment in which a child pauses along a forest path as a flock of geese scatters and settles around her. Firmin-Girard balances narrative charm with close observation of nature: fallen leaves, reflective water, and filtered light anchor the scene in the rhythms of the countryside. The geese animate the composition, their movement guiding the viewer through the landscape and reinforcing themes of care, stewardship, and everyday labor.
Firmin-Girard was celebrated in late nineteenth-century France for his genre scenes depicting children, rural life, and domestic intimacy. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel, he exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon, where works like this aligned with contemporary interest in pastoral subjects rendered with academic polish. Painted in 1878, the work reflects Firmin-Girard’s mature style—combining detailed naturalism with gentle sentiment—and exemplifies the enduring appeal of rural imagery in French academic painting of the Third Republic.
Provenance:
Sotheby's, New York, 24 Oct 1996, lot 183
Estate of Seymour Epstein
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
