Le mystère Le Nain

Spanning 376 pages, the catalog presents over 70 works, including 55 paintings attributed to the Le Nain brothers — Antoine, Louis, and Mathieu — key figures in 17th-century French painting. Known for their quietly powerful depictions of peasant life, religious subjects, and allegorical scenes, the Le Nain brothers have long intrigued scholars for their stylistic unity and enigmatic individual identities.

The publication explores the complexities of attribution among the three artists, the social and artistic context of their time, and the poetic realism that defines their work. Essays by leading curators and art historians, including Nicolas Milovanovic and Luc Piralla, provide a fresh and in-depth look at one of the most fascinating families in French Baroque art. Particular focus is given to the ongoing scholarly debate around the attribution of works to each of the three brothers, a question that continues to intrigue art historians