Clovis Terraire – Cows At The Foot Of The Mountain – Oil On Canvas – Signed

The work depicts a rural scene characteristic of late 19th-century naturalist painting, and of Clovis Terraire in particular. In the foreground stretches a meadow in ochre and brown tones, dotted with low vegetation, where a small group of cows can be seen blending into the landscape. The composition is dominated by the imposing silhouette of a hill or mountain rising to the right, its rocky slopes revealing earthy hues ranging from brown to gray-green. This is probably a landscape of the Dauphiné region, where Terraire liked to paint.

The sky, rendered in gray and bluish tones, suggests a misty atmosphere or overcast weather, typical of mid-mountain landscapes. To the left, a cluster of dark trees creates a vertical counterpoint to the horizontality of the landscape. The brushwork is free and expressive, characteristic of the artist's plein-air approach.

The work is signed in the lower right corner. It is in good overall condition. Three small repairs, invisible on the back of the painting, are visible.

This painting is presented in a gilt and stuccoed frame. The corners and crossbars are adorned with foliate cartouches sculpted in high relief. The original gilding has been reinforced on the cartouches. The whole reflects the taste for ornate frames of the period, highlighting the tonal restraint of the painted composition.

The artist
Clovis Frédérick Léopold Terraire was born in Marseille in 1858 but spent most of his life in Lyon. He exhibited at the Lyon Salon as well as the Salon des Artistes Français. He received the Rosa-Bonheur Prize in 1927.

Clovis Terraire painted numerous landscapes of the area surrounding his city and the region: Bugey and Bresse, Dauphiné, Haute-Savoie, and Switzerland. He excelled at rendering aquatic scenes under subdued lighting. Also an animal painter, he specialized in depicting grazing cows.

Artwork visible at the gallery (07240)
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