Hugues Merle was much acclaimed during his own life-time for his highly finished depictions of family life, historical subjects and the pathos experienced in the lives of the less fortunate French-notably working women.

Merle was most often associated with his friend and rival, William Bouguereau. In fact, it was at the urging of their mutual friend and art dealer, Durand-Ruel, that Bouguereau took up Merle's highly successful theme of familial love on which the latter had built a solid reputation with the Salon entries from 1847 and awards during the 1860's.

Later Merle and Bouguereau found lucrative employment with Goupil, and Merle became the teacher of Bouguereau's wife, Elizabeth Gardner.

Museums:
Luxembourg Museum
Wallace Collection, Paris
Municipal Museum of Amsterdam
Metropolitan Museum, NY

Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton