The Artist’s Mother Praying Before the Body of her Daughter Madeleine (1856)

Henner had five brothers and sisters including Madeleine painted here on her deathbed. His early paintings are characterised by a realism that continued to be a constant factor in his works. In 1879, Henner described it to Durand-Gréville as “conscientious painting”. The painter was realist by temperament and probably also as a result of the influence of German painting, particularly Hans Holbein. This painting is the first example of the representations of death that would become a recurring theme in his work, subsequently assuming a religious character with his figures of Christ.