Mireille making alms at Saint-Trophime by Pierre-Auguste Cot

With “Mireille making alms at the exit of Saint-Trophime”, Pierre-Auguste Cot is freely inspired by Provençal literature and Christian faith. This academic narrative work contrasts bourgeois elegance with the fragility of peasant misery on the square of a famous religious building.

The scene takes place on the majestic stone steps of the Saint-Trophime church. A young woman of dazzling presence, dressed in a rich black dress adorned with velvet and a collar of immaculate whiteness, slowly descends. With a noble gesture, she hands a coin to a young, crippled, and ragged beggar, leaning on a rough wooden crutch with his small accordion. The noble lady also holds delicate olive branches, symbols of peace. In the background, other faithful, including an old woman holding a decorated candle, observe this scene of silent charity in the shadow of the portal’s heavy columns.

The harmony of cool tones and detailed architecture highlight the main characters. Pierre-Auguste Cot signs here a painting of great aesthetic and moral refinement.