Idyllic Landscape
20th Century

$1,352.52

£1,000

€1,220.93

CA$1,928.69

A$1,977.55

CHF 1,126.73

MX$25,172.47

NOK 12,942.23

SEK 13,503.41

DKK 9,126.74

About the Item

In the manner of Jean-Francoise Milet, 1814-1875, who was a French artist, and one of the founders of the Barbizon School of painters. Milet influenced a great many painters throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, and this picture expresses the realism of his influence. This picture is probably from an American School and the product of an unknown artist, however the painter captures an image of Geronimo within the shape of the tree and displays the idealism portrayed by MIlet who's later career became predominantly simple landscapes and this artist imitates him with an interesting diversification in the portrayal. This picture is unsigned. This painting, as we are given to understand, that the artist is almost certainly American who had a passion for French landscape and an understanding of the Brotherhood of man, which Milet also followed and was somewhat derided for it by the Salon. There have been a number of suggested artists for this work unfortunately we are not looking to ascribe this work to a particular painter, however this work being a visual optical illusion and a few artists that are familiar with the subject of American past history we have left the decision to pursue an attribution to the new owner. I have included a short biography of Milet for your interest. Jean-François Millet (1814–1875) was a pioneering French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. He is best known for his empathetic, monumental depictions of peasant farmers, which profoundly challenged the traditional hierarchies of nineteenth-century European art. Millet was born into a prosperous peasant family in Gruchy, a hamlet in Normandy. His early environment deeply instilled a respect for rural labor and religious piety that later defined his artistic thematic vocabulary. He began his formal artistic education in Cherbourg in 1833 before moving to Paris in 1837 to study at the École des Beaux-Arts under the academic historical painter Paul Delaroche. Millet struggled early in his career by painting conventional portraits and mythological scenes to survive financially. A pivotal shift occurred in 1849 when he relocated to Barbizon, a village near the Forest of Fontainebleau. Alongside artists like Théodore Rousseau and Charles-François Daubigny, Millet rejected academic idealism in favor of a closer alignment with nature. Millet combined realist observation with a classical sense of form. His technique featured earthy, muted tonal palettes reflecting the soil and landscape. Heavy, expressive brushwork that lent physical mass to his subjects. Strong, simplified contours that elevated anonymous laborers into heroic, timeless. Millet’s mature work focused almost exclusively on the daily realities of the rural working class. His most celebrated paintings include, The Winnower (1848): His first major critical success at the Paris Salon, celebrating the dignity of physical labor. The Gleaners (1857): A masterpiece depicting the poorest rural women collecting leftover grain. It drew fierce criticism from the Parisian bourgeoisie, who feared it promoted socialist agitation. The Angelus (1857–1859): An iconic depiction of a peasant couple pausing their work in the fields to pray, which later became a global symbol of piety and humble virtue. While conservative critics during his lifetime often viewed his work as politically subversive, Millet maintained that his art was rooted in biblical truths and human existence rather than radical politics. His innovative approach to light, form, and social subject matter heavily influenced later generations of avant-garde artists, most notably Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, and Salvador Dalí. Today, Millet is recognized as a crucial bridge between Romanticism and Realism, forever altering how the working class was represented in fine art.

Creation Year:
20th Century
Dimensions:
Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
After:
Jean-Francoise Milet (1814 - 1875, French)
Period:
Late 20th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Douglas, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: No. 3021stDibs: LU2373215361292