Original Antique Oil Painting, Plein Air, French Impressionism

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Oil on board, late 19th or early 20th century, en plein air

This enchanting little painting (we have named “The … Read more Oil on board, late 19th or early 20th century, en plein air

This enchanting little painting (we have named “The Harvester”) was done by a skilled artist whose signature is absent, lending a sense of mystery to the beautiful image. The piece was discovered in a market in Provence. It was surely influenced by the harvesting scenes of Leon Lhermitte and also evokes earlier Barbizon school themes of peasants who labor in the fields. The artist captures the soft light of a hazy day in early summer with an impasto brushstroke that recalls the spontaneous technique of French Realist and Impressionist painters.

This small portable oil painting on board indicates that it was a study - perhaps by a student, perhaps by a noted artist. Whoever the artist, the work exemplifies the trend of Naturalism in 19th century France, in which artists remind us of the dignity of honest labor and our relationship to nature. See less