Henri Joseph Harpignies (1819-1916) Villiers Saint Benoit

Oil on canvas, signed lower left
38 cm x 46 cm / 57.5 x 65.5 cm

Henri Joseph Harpignies was one of the early landscape painters to join the Barbizon School. He was influenced by the naturalistic painting of Corot, with whom he became friends. They traveled to Italy together in 1860. Described by Anatole France as the "Michelangelo of trees and peaceful countryside," Henri Joseph Harpignies received top honors at the salons he exhibited, as well as numerous commissions from the French state. His work is held in major museums in France and abroad.

This work is a beautiful oil on canvas, perfectly composed. While the thousands of drawings produced by Harpignies have lost much of their value today, paintings like this one, infinitely rarer on the market, retain their well-deserved worth. The condition of this artwork, on its original canvas and stretcher, is excellent. The original varnish, which had become opaque, has just been removed and replaced. The paint itself is undamaged, and the colors are absolutely intact. This painting is presented in a lovely antique frame of wood and gilt stucco.