Unconscious Sleeper c. 1861 - 1897

Léon Bazile Perrault painted this image of a sleeping child, attended by a cat, to appeal to the sensibilities of 19th-century bourgeois audiences. Perrault, working in the academic style, often depicted sentimental scenes of rural childhood that omitted the poverty of working-class life. Here, the girl's tousled blonde curls and the worn condition of her clothes contrast with her peaceful slumber and the attentive cat. One wonders if she dreams of a different existence. The child’s vulnerability is striking. We might consider the gendered and class expectations placed on children and how such images obscure the realities of labor and survival. What is the relationship between sleep and privilege? Consider how this depiction creates an idealized narrative around childhood that both reflects and shapes cultural values.