Old Painting Oil French Barbizon School Animals Horses 19th Century

  

Hello, I am selling this painting with a height of 36 cm and a width of 55 cm. It is a superb oil on wood, possibly painted by a French artist (signature at the bottom left, illegible to me) at the end of the 19th or early 20th century, before 1950, depicting a scene of what appears to be potato harvesting, a labor that sees men and animals united in a continuous effort, bent, contorted, and/or pulling a very heavy load, through an impressive line of figures and movements, represented, like everything else, in a realistic and abstract manner. This paradoxical stylistic combination is a key element in the unique character of the work, unlike any other, but it is even more the central procession that manages to turn a horribly mundane and laborious harvest moment into a receptacle of intensity. The horses' heads have much more detailed features than the human heads, which are completely devoid of expression; they would almost be more human than the real ones if the bodies on which they rest were not articulated!

An artistic shortcut, a subliminal message that suggests that when man is pushed to the depths of exhaustion (the horses undoubtedly exhausting themselves less due to their superior physical abilities) in a mechanical and exhausting task, he loses his humanity... The mystery is complete but quite intriguing. Also note the wonderful rendering of the sky, with atmospheric and therefore colorful tones, just as intense as below, a source of beautiful light effects, both through the clouds and the characters, the colors covering the composition, unusual and almost tortured here and there, perhaps also to convey the generalized exhaustion that emanates from the procession, or the beautiful depth effect of the painting, which sinks far into the forests in the background. The composition, despite various signs of wear here and there, in the form of small superficial losses, a few small points and small holes, light traces, a multitude of small cracks, inherent to the passage of time, and two vertical cracks less than 1 mm wide, one towards the middle, more discreet than the other, towards the right edge (they can also be seen on the back of the panel but I do not see any risk of worsening if the support is handled carefully) is in good overall condition and fully retains its captivating power. The cracks become less visible from about 3 meters away; regardless of the distance, they are also likely to be even more discreet depending on the light in the room and the viewing angle (an example with the fourth photo), or on the contrary much less so; so it will be up to you to choose the most appropriate location if you want an optimal result. The panel is not perfectly flat, but this is quite discreet. In the second and third photos, the right part is slightly in shadow, which is not the case in reality; see the fourth for an accurate preview of this area. The photos were taken under skylights created by my Velux windows, on a relatively sunny afternoon. After many tests, I realized that the rendering of colors in the second photo, with the equipment I have, is the one that most faithfully reproduces, regardless of the distance, what can be observed in conditions that most people could consider as "normal", i.

those that would offer a good compromise between sufficient light source and nuanced colors without excess. Note, however, that computer screens or mobile phones other than mine, depending on their brightness and contrast, may more or less modify the results I have achieved.

With these elements in mind, you can still consider my photos as sufficiently representative sources of reality, under observation conditions similar to those described earlier. Attention collectors, people attracted to vintage items, curiosities, decorative objects, or simply admirers of their intrinsic beauty! It's a great gift idea.

The shipment will be made with care, unless you prefer a hand delivery, which is entirely possible if you make the trip. WARNING: All my shipments include insurance proportional to the value of the item. Therefore, in order for it to be taken into account, if the cardboard is damaged, even slightly, or opened, even partially, you must ask the delivery person to note reservations, if it is a shipment with La Poste, or refuse the package with the personnel at the relay point, if it is a shipment with Mondial Relay, UNLESS. You must ask them to do so.

You have the possibility to request reservations. With the scanned shipping documents. Then you can receive the package, before they scan the shipping document or perform any other operation confirming that you have received the package; in other words, be sure to check the condition of the cardboard, not omitting any area, in these two cases before they act. In the case of Mondial Relay, if you refuse to accept the package, it will be kept by the relay point to be returned to the expertise service, for a verification aimed at reporting the responsibility of the delivery person and making the insurance effective (information gathered on their site). In the case of La Poste, if the delivery is made in your mailbox because the dimensions of the package allow it, without a hand delivery, and the cardboard is sufficiently damaged, you must bring it back to the nearest post office without opening it, asking the counter staff to return the package to me (information gathered on their site), also in anticipation of a verification by the delivery service.

Do not hesitate to take and keep photos of the damaged cardboard that will match mine when I receive it. Please note that in all these cases you may think, for any reason, that the item inside the cardboard remains in perfect condition and therefore accept the package - or not go to the nearest post office -, but the delivery services count on the margin of error, which incidentally suits them well since, I repeat, the insurance is then no longer effective due to damage caused by the sacred transfer of responsibility from the delivery person to the shipper or recipient; less expenses for them, so they will not have to pay the insurance amount! Also, do not rely on shaking the package to determine if the item is broken; unless it is glass or ceramic, the sound of breakage is imperceptible. If you have any questions or would like more photos, please let me know.