This late 19th-century oil painting by French artist Clovis Frederick Terraire (1858-1931) depicts a sunrise over a landscape with pond. Hailing from Marseille, Terraire was a celebrated painter of views, scenes and still lifes.
Terraire’s early years were a whirlwind of creative endeavour as he developed an advanced aptitude for both drawing and music. At the age of 20, pursuing his musical interests, he travelled to India with a theatre troupe where he presumably performed in an orchestra. Bassoon was his preferred instrument but he was equally adept as a pianist. Upon returning from his theatrical sojourn, he settled in Lyon, where he began his artistic training in earnest - studying under the supervision of Louis Guy (1824-1888). Guy was a versatile tutor with a particular skill for animal painting, a subject that would serve his pupil well.
Terraire’s landscapes are an alluring infusion of accurate draughtsmanship, movement and storytelling. His ability for composition provided a robust foundation, on which he built a narrative and atmosphere. In a piece from 1907, ‘Troupeau de Vaches S'Abreuvant’, a herd of cows amble through shallow water amid a near-luminous array of windswept grasses. Their muscular frames captured sublimely in subtle chiaroscuro and a rich palette.
A critic proclaimed how “his broad and colourful touch is perfectly assimilated to the sumptuous landscapes he describes” and how he often chose “motifs with a slightly high horizon line to better convey the majesty and grandeur of our Alpine panoramas”. He often pitched his easel in south-eastern France with Haute-Savoie, Dauphiné, Bugey and Bresse, all popular destinations.
In this work from 1891, a crescent moon hangs conspicuously amid a lazy sunrise. While a burning sky, graduated with atmospheric tints, reflects in a glimmering pond. It’s a little reminiscent of the Barbizon school painters, particularly Charles-François Daubigny (1817-1878).
Terraire’s mastery was duly rewarded with entrance into the prestigious Paris Salon, where he became a regular exhibitor. While locally, the committee at the Salon de Lyon considered him a leading light of the ‘Lyonnaise school’. Various accolades followed including medals in Lyon, Paris, and in 1927, the illustrious ‘Prix Rosa-Bonheur’.
Towards the end of his career, his style adapted to assimilate with modern tastes. His brushwork became looser and less constrained to balanced compositions. By this time, he’d been elected a member of the Salon des Artistes Français, yet continued working tirelessly to accurately reflect nature in all her shifting moods.
Signed/dated lower left and held within a gilt frame.
Learn more about Clovis Terraire in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board.
Overall size: 42” x 34½” / 107cm x 88cm
Year of creation: 1891
Labels & Inscriptions: Framemaker’s label (L. Leroy of Paris).
Provenance: Private collection, Sweden.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned.
Artist’s auction maximum: £4,595 for ‘Vacher dans la Région Lyonnaise’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby's, 19th Century European Paintings And Drawings, New York, 1991 (lot 164).
Our reference: BRV1869
