October

Albert Pierre René Maignan began painting in the Barbizon tradition, but after a successful Salon debut in 1867 he dropped landscapes to embark on a career as a painter of contemporary history. That profitable decision earned him prizes throughout the 1870s and 1880s, including the Salon's medal of honor in 1892. This pastel is a bit of a mystery and may be linked to a calendar commissioned by Princess Marie of Denmark. Maignan contributed a watercolor for the month of June, and October may have been a failed submission for the princess's project or intended for the artist's own calendar undertaking.