＂In France in the 17th century, the brothers Antoine (c. 1588-1648), Louis (c. 1593-1648), and Mathieu (1607-1677) Le Nain painted images of everyday life for which they became posthumously
famous. They are celebrated for their depictions of middle-classleisure activities, and particularly for their representations of peasant families, who gaze out at the viewer. The
uncompromising naturalism of these compositions, along with their oddly suspended action, imparts a sense of dignity to their subjects. Featuring more than sixty paintings highlighting the
artists’ full range of production, including altarpieces, private devotional paintings, portraits, and the poignant images of peasants for which the brothers are best known, this generously
illustrated volume presents new research concerning the authorship, dating, and meaning of the works by well-known scholars in the field. Also groundbreaking are the results of a technical
study of the paintings, which constitutes a major contribution to the scholarship on the Le Nain brothers. ＂--
