Château d’Andrezel (circa 1980)
Private Collection, France 
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Paris, Salon, 1884, no. 384
Paris, Exposition Universelle, 1889, group VI, section 65 (“Navigation and Rescue”)

Théodore Véron, Dictionnaire Véron, Salon de 1884, Paris, 1884, p. 66-7
Le Petit Journal, August 15, 1891

Unlined. On the reverse, there is a 1 by 3 inch patch left center and a 1 by 3 inch patch on the lower left to address old repairs. Stretcher bar marks and finely patterned stable craquelure visible on the front of the canvas. Under UV: Areas of inpainting to address aforementioned repairs. Scattered spots of inpainting in the background, primarily in the upper right background and a couple of spots in the arm of the young boy at center left in the background. There are 1 inch diameter spots of inpainting just below the central figure's proper right hand, in his proper right leg, and in the ropes in the lower right, and there are a few pin dots of inpainting in the central figure's face. There is a thin 3 by 1 inch line of inpainting in the lower right, possibly to address an old repair, but the reverse of the canvas is covered by labels in this area.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Brun, a student of Alexandre Cabanel and Carolus-Duran, is celebrated for his expertly rendered marine paintings, encyclopedic ship illustrations, and large state commissions. Completed during a period of increased popularity for the French Navy, Le mousse, a term used for a "ship boy," is a charming portrayal of a young barefoot sailor wearing an adult’s uniform, a popular custom at the time, which suggests his future life at sea. As a contemporary writer notes, “newspapers are full of illustrations of admirals and we wanted to see the little mousse. M. Brun has presented him all neat in his white clothes…happy with his destiny and thinking of the future…he will also become admiral, he will also wander on the seas with the victorious tricolor ship, he also will be acclaimed with “Vive la France” by the emperors and queens, and the whole population” (as translated from Le Petit Journal, August 15, 1891). Brun’s monumental composition achieved accolades at the Salon of 1884 and further recognition in the Navigation and Rescue section of the 1889 Exposition Universelle. A preparatory watercolor dated 1883 is held in the Musée national de la Marine, Paris.