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painting of a man sitting on the ground with a knife in his handan image of a painting of a man sitting on the grounda painting of a wooden frame with a label on it
MILLON

55 - Alphonse MURATON (Tours, 1824 – Saint-Denis-sur-Loire, 1911)…
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Estimate €600 - €800
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Description
Alphonse MURATON (Tours, 1824 – Saint-Denis-sur-Loire, 1911), attributed to The Monk Gravedigger Oil on canvas 21 x 16.5 cm This work is most likely a sketch for the masterpiece *The Monk Gravedigger*, painted in 1867 by Alphonse Muraton; a large-scale painting (220 x 149 cm), one of the most famous works by the artist from Tours. The exhibition held at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tours in 2020 tells us more about this painting and the artist: After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Muraton returned to his hometown at the age of 30 to pursue his career there. He made a name for himself at the Salon between 1867 and 1869 with religious scenes inspired by Spanish painting, in which we are confronted with humanity’s eternal questioning in the face of the mystery of death. The monk’s pose may remind us of Rodin’s famous Thinker. We also see evidence of a funeral custom that has since fallen into disuse: the burial of the deceased in the shadow of the cross, near churches, in the hope of being reborn more quickly in Paradise... Seated with a spade in his hand, his gaze directed towards the grave. He appears to be meditating on the vanities of life and its transience. His gaze follows the tool, pointing downwards, whilst a cross, flanked by two smaller ones, points upwards towards the heavens… A very important painting within the artist’s body of work and career.
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About the sale Interiors & Characters
Auction location
Auction time 10/07/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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