Myron Barlow (American, 1873-1937), Mother and Child

Oil on canvas (lined), unsigned, inscription and conservator's stamp to verso, framed.

Stretcher size 32 x 25 3/4 in.; Frame dimensions 35 x 29 in.

From the collection of Thomas English Cody (1889-1948), the great nephew of Buffalo Bill Cody, and by family descent.

Detroit-born artist Myron Barlow was known for his humble and intimate depictions of French peasant life, often rendered using soft color palettes and muted tones. He was an admirer of Johannes Vermeer, whose influence is strong in Barlow’s subject matter, conveying female figures frozen in a moment within an interior.

Barlow began his career as a newspaper artist and studied under Joseph Gies. Later he spent a year at the Chicago Art Institute. At the age of 21, he went to Paris, where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1907 he was the only American elected to the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts. In 1932, he was made a member of the Legion of Honor. Barlow was a frequent residence of the artist colony Etaples, France. His works are represented at The Detroit Institute of Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy, and other art galleries in both America and France. Four of his murals adorn the tower of Temple Beth El in Detroit.

The painting has been wax-lined, age cracking and later varnish, small repair to canvas at upper edge.