Paul-Charles Chocarne-Moreau

Harry Glass, Old Westbury, New York (sale: Sotheby's, New York, 16 February 1994, lot 187);
Purchased by the present owner at the above sale

The canvas has been relined. There is a vertical line of retouching (approx. 14 in.) in the background to the upper left of the work corresponding to a repair in the canvas. There are a few further small scattered spots of cosmetic retouching, notably to the centre of the lower edge and to the legs of the boy kneeling. Apart from some very faint craquelure visible only on close inspection the rest of the composition is overall in good condition. Held in a simple gilt wood frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Chocarne-Moreau's fresh-faced boys - school children, postboys, and a kitchen hand - are seen playing a guessing game. Each in turn has to kneel down with his eyes closed and guess which of two other boys has hit him. If he guesses right, he gets a prize of the soup and a share of the contents of the hamper supplied by the little cook. Keen not to lose out, the delivery boy whose turn it is, tries to cheat by sneaking a view behind him. 

Chocarne-Moreau received a traditional training under William Bouguereau and Robert-Fleury, but applied his academic style to a more light-hearted and often humorous genre painting. Qui c'était? epitomises his playful pictures of young boys, chimney-sweeps and kitchen hands cavorting and getting up to mischief in the streets of Paris, peddling, pick-pocketing, and playing tricks on each other.