The Harness, Walk In The Woods

It was customary, at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, to appear in the Bois de Boulogne in one's finest attire, in order to meet and exchange the latest gossip from Paris. This delightful watercolor takes us into this vanished world where the petroleum steam automobile has not yet had its place. The author is a remarkable observer, both on the veracity of the animals and the team, as well as in the description of the elegant outfits of these gentlemen. The quality of the drawing inevitably brings to mind the work of Georges Busson (1859-1933) specialist in horses and hunting with hounds. It is likely that the signature could have been skipped, because the person who framed the drawing had to reduce the sheet to match this small straw marquetry frame. I put in the last image a watercolor of a similar subject, which allows us to judge the relevance of my words. Small accident at the edge of the frame at the back of it, otherwise the watercolor is very fresh.