La place des Ecoles et le square de la mairie du 14ème arrondissement (1917)

Welcome to a delightful journey into early 20th century Paris through the eyes of Félix Brard. This charming painting, titled "La place des Ecoles et le square de la mairie du 14ème arrondissement," literally translates to "The Schools' Square and the Town Hall Garden of the 14th District." Painted in 1917, Brard’s work depicts a lively scene in a public garden, alive with the joyous energy of children at play.In the forefront, the painting welcomes us with an autumnal scene of falling leaves and scattered playthings. Children, each captured in mid-movement, engage in timeless activities. Some clamber up trees, reaching for branches as if they might climb straight into the washed-out Parisian sky, while others engage in games on the ground, their faces alight with the thrill of play.The soft watercolors blur gently into each other, portraying the fleeting, ethereal quality of childhood days spent outdoors. The grayish sky, hinting perhaps at the chill of approaching winter, contrasts warmly with the earthy tones of the golden-brown leaves and greenery, providing a sense of the changing seasons.Beyond the fence, more figures stroll alongside verdant hedges, hinting at the everyday life continuing just steps away from this captivating childhood revelry. The meticulous detail Brard employs in the painting invites viewers to linger, to explore each corner of the canvas and recall their own childhood full of play and exploration in nature’s backdrop.