Harry Humphrey Moore (1844–1926)

HARRY HUMPHREY MOORE (1844–1926)
Japanese Children with Tortoise, 1881
Oil on wood panel, 6 1/4 x 10 7/8 in.
Signed, dated, and inscribed (at lower right):  H. Humphrey Moore 81; (on paper label, on the back): No. 54 / Japanese Children with Tortoise

EX COLL.: the artist, until 1926; to his wife, Maria Moore, 1926; to private collection, Connecticut, about 1950, until the present

Moore’s Japanese subjects have been described as being characterized by “strong and vivid color,” and Japanese Children with Tortoise is no exception, the rich palette, as well as the spirited brushwork, revealing the impact of Fortuny. At the same time, the lingering influence of Gérôme is apparent in the artist’s individualized portrayal of the sitters’ faces and clothing, as well their gestures and poses.  His tightly cropped composition enhances the mood of familial intimacy, another key feature of this charming pictorial record of child life in late-19th century Japan.