A charming landscape study by French painter, Léon Printemps (1871-1945) depicting a wooded area under a moonlit sky. It’s an evocative little painting and beautifully framed.

Printemps was a precocious talent that studied at the National School of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Gustave Moreau (1826-1898) - a major figure in the French ‘Symbolist movement’. During his time there, he worked alongside some fascinating artists such as Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault.

His work often displays a dreamlike quality, which captures the imagination through a haze of broad brushwork. And this piece is a good example of how he emphasises the general structure and atmosphere of a landscape rather than focus on the minutiae. By doing so, he communicates a mood - perhaps his own.

The location of this view is unknown but, like many painters of his generation, he often worked in the forests of Fontainebleau near Paris.

The painting is housed within a good later frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board
Overall size: 12” x 14” / 30cm x 35cm
Year of creation: c. 1900
Provenance: France
Condition: Overall very presentable.
Artist’s auction highlight: £6,576 achieved for a portrait at auction in 2018.