Circle Of Jean Victor Bertin (1767-1842) - Neoclassical Landscape - Oil

Circle of Jean Victor BERTIN (1767-1842)

Neoclassical landscape

Oil on canvas
32.5 x 40.5 cm without frame
56 x 64 cm with frame

This rural scene represents an idealized architectural landscape, typical of the first half of the 19th century. In a rigorously constructed composition, the artist deploys a vocabulary inherited from the neoclassical landscape: a central building firmly set in space, soft lines of relief, balanced masses of trees and a vast, luminous sky with subtly modulated nuances.

The presence of human and animal figures discreetly enlivens the foreground, while reinforcing the atmosphere of tranquility specific to this type of scene. The touch is fine, the drawing precise, and the lighting effects reflect a strong mastery of outdoor painting, probably nourished by the study of the Italian landscape.

In its style and treatment, this work can be compared to the circle of Jean-Victor Bertin, (1767-1842) great neo-classical landscape painter, teacher notably of Achille-Etna Michallon (1796-1822). It is part of the tradition of French artists of the 1820s–1830s, sensitive to the formal balance and serenity of countryside scenes.