View Of Cap D'antibes Around 1850

View of Cap d’Antibes – signed “Léon,” circa 1850
Frame: 58x38 cm

Oil on canvas likely depicting a cove at Cap d’Antibes, bustling with a few small boats and bordered by Mediterranean vegetation consisting of pine trees, cypresses, and olive trees. A few houses are visible among the trees, while the coastline stretches into the distance. The very bright light, the deep blue of the Mediterranean, and the precision of the details give this view a particularly appealing character.
The painting is signed “Léon” in red in the lower right corner. The exact identity of the painter remains to be determined.
However, one important detail helps pinpoint the date: on the reverse side of the canvas is the stamp of the Parisian paint merchant Vallé, located at 3 Rue de l’Arbre-Sec in Paris. Pierre-Auguste Vallé, a paint dealer, canvas manufacturer, and painting restorer, had initially been in business with Bourniche under the name “Vallé & Bourniche.” After the dissolution of this partnership in 1841, Vallé continued the business alone until his death in 1845. A mark bearing simply his name therefore makes it highly likely that the painting dates from between 1841 and 1845. Since his successor undoubtedly continued to sell the canvases, it is prudent to date the painting to after 1850.

The painting is presented in its beautiful period frame of wood and gilded stucco, decorated with canal motifs and heart-and-ray designs.