Hi everyone — I’m trying to identify a painting I saw online a while ago (likely a reposted print or archive image). I’ve spent a long time trying to relocate it and narrowed the style down, but I still can’t find the exact work or artist.
I’m hoping someone familiar with 19th/early 20th century European genre painting might recognize it.
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Scene description:
A domestic interior that feels modest or shared (possibly stone/plaster walls; almost basement-like or old building interior)
Strong side window light illuminating the scene
A mother seated on the edge of a bed
She is wearing a white nightdress or simple light clothing
She is holding the hands of a small toddler who is standing and moving (almost like dancing / newly learning to walk)
The child is partially dressed (small shirt), not fully nude
A second woman (likely maid/attendant/companion) sits nearby on the floor watching the interaction
The moment feels like a quiet, intimate glimpse of domestic life
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Atmosphere / style:
Warm palette: white, pink flesh tones, reds, browns, warm shadow
Strong contrast between bright window light and darker interior
Emotional tone: tender, joyful, and natural (not symbolic or religious)
The scene feels like a captured moment of movement and affection, not a staged portrait
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Style characteristics:
Realistic but soft (not sharp photographic realism)
Not Impressionist (too structured/clear for Bonnard or Vuillard)
Not academic portrait painting (too informal and narrative for that)
Not religious imagery
Not dark social realism (too warm and joyful for Buland/Pelez/Lhermitte-type works)
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Artists I’ve considered (closest matches):
Émile Munier → very close in warmth, tenderness, and mother/child interaction style
Léon Perrault → close in emotional tone and subject matter, but often more portrait-like than this scene felt
Bernard Pothast → structurally close in domestic motherhood scenes, but figures sometimes feel more rigid than what I remember
Also considered and ruled out:
Sorolla (too bright / outdoor feeling)
Bonnard / Vuillard (too abstract / stylized interiors)
Zorn (too portrait-focused)
Buland / Lhermitte / Pelez (too heavy or labor-focused)
Stevens (color close, but doesn’t feel like the right narrative style)
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What I remember most clearly:
The mother and toddler interacting physically (hands held, movement)
A warm beam of window light isolating them in the room
A second woman quietly observing
The painting may be one of several similar motherhood scenes by the same artist
I first saw it as a social media repost (Instagram) and later found it in an online archive, but never relocated the exact image again
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If anyone recognizes this composition or knows artists in this exact niche of warm domestic motherhood scenes, I’d really appreciate the help.
Bonus points if you know how I can get my hands on a print of it. It's stuck with me more than any other painting before and I just can't let go.