A Game of Spillikins
Paul Seignac (French, 1826–1904)
Oil on panel, 16 x 12 ½ in.
Signed lower left: Seignac
In this charming interior scene, Paul Seignac captures a quiet moment of childhood absorbed in play. Three children gather around a rustic kitchen table to play spillikins, a 19th-century game similar to pick-up sticks. The subdued lighting and warm tones emphasize the intimacy of the moment, while the children's expressions and body language reveal focus, curiosity, and camaraderie.
A student of William Bouguereau, Seignac was known for his finely rendered genre scenes depicting peasant life in rural France. A Game of Spillikins reflects his characteristic blend of academic technique and sentimental subject matter, offering a window into the simple joys and domestic rhythms of the 19th-century French countryside.
