Francois Reynaud (Marseille 1825 – Paris 1909), “After the Show”, second half of the 19th century. Oil on canvas. H. 130 x 87 cm. Signed lower left “F. Reynaud” The painting depicts a young man dressed in circus clothes. The boy is portrayed after the show, while resting under a green awning; his body leans into a twisted pose, his gaze is tired. The drummer is accompanied in his number by a small brownish-haired primate, probably a spider monkey, portrayed while making its call. The work offers us an example of Reynaud's studies on light: the penumbra of the scene allows him to insert a grazing, natural light, which skims the figures. BIOGRAPHY François Reynaud was born in Marseille in 1825. At the School of Fine Arts of his city he became a student first of Augustin Aubert and then of Emile Loubon, known for his Provençal landscapes. In 1848 he made his debut at the Salon, in which he also participated in subsequent years. He was awarded a bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1889. During his career, Reynaud demonstrates a strong versatility, both in terms of subjects and the use of light and color. To the poetic rendering of the landscape, brilliantly learned under the guidance of Loubon, he combines a refined study of the psyche of his characters. The predilection for rural and folkloric subjects denotes him as an artist with an almost demonological gaze, halfway between Realism and Romanticism. He died in Paris in 1909. E. Bénézit, Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs. III. L-Z, page 599