A wonderful 18th-century oil on canvas depicting a flute player within an extensive Arcadian landscape. This idealised rural vision is intended to transport the viewer away from the rigours of life and into a simpler world inspired by ancient Greece.
Stylistically it draws upon the imagined landscapes of French neoclassical painters, such as Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin. Note the large tree that guides our eye down and then outwards towards the setting sun and distant mountains.
This is a celebration of the beauty within nature and it still brings a moment of calm as the artist intended.
| Medium |
Oil on canvas
|
| Overall size |
20½” x 17½” / 52cm x 44cm
|
| Year of creation |
c. 1750
|
| Provenance |
France
|
|
Condition
|
Craquelure throughout and areas of scuffing around the edges. A few minor paint losses. Frame with age-related wear, some losses to the stucco and repairs.
|
