Antoine-claude Ponthus-cinier (1812-1885) The Ferry At Neuville Sur Ain

Antoine-Claude PONTHUS-CINIER
(Lyon, 1812 - Lyon, 1885)
The ferry boat at Neuville sur Ain
Oil on canvas
H. 54 cm; W. 81 cm
Stamp of the sale at the bottom left.

Provenance: 1885, Studio sale, n°18

Ponthus-Cinier belongs to what could be defined as the third (and so to speak last) generation of neo-classical or historical landscape artists, born in the years 1810/1820, such as Félix Lanoüe, Achille Bénouville, Paul Flandrin, Eugène Ferdinand Buttura or Alfred de Curzon. More particularly, he is considered the main and most popular representative of the landscape artists of the Lyon school around the middle of the 19th century. Of a generous, honest personality, and pleasant company, Ponthus-Cinier came from a family of merchants on his mother's side and magistrates on his father's side; destined for commerce by his parents, he preferred the artistic path, and after enrolling at the Lyon School of Fine Arts in 1829, and training in Paris with Paul Delaroche, he exhibited his first works at the Lyon Salon of 1839, before participating in the Paris Salon in 1841. That same year, he received the second prize of Rome for historical landscape (won by Buttura in 1837, and Bénouville in 1845), beaten by the Versaillais Lanoüe. To perfect his skills, Ponthus-Cinier then decided to go to Italy, alone and at his own expense, for a single stay between 1842 and 1844; He discovered the Ligurian coast, Tuscany, Naples, and of course Rome and its surroundings, and executed a considerable quantity of studies (painted sketches or pen sketches) which he used to compose views of Italy throughout his career. Ponthus-Cinier's main qualities probably lie in "the art of illuminating a canvas" as A. Jouve wrote in the 19th century, and in his sense of perspective, sometimes truly extraordinary; he seems, however, most of the time, a little less brilliant in the figures and in the transcription of details.

This unsigned canvas, sold in March 1885 during the sale of the painter's studio, was stamped with the sale stamp. It represents the Neuville sur Ain ferry and the river. This ferry, called "traille ferry", crosses the watercourse, following a chain or cable attached to each of the banks. A postcard shows us four bins of the same type, most certainly at the precise location where Ponthus-Cinier created this work which he always wanted to preserve.