French School, First Half Of The 18th Century - Italian Landscape

French School, first half of the 18th century
Italian Landscape
Oil on canvas
41 x 58 cm (55 x 74 cm with frame)
Old label on the reverse
Fine antique Italian carved and gilded wooden frame
Good condition

As was the case with history painting, French landscape painters of the first half of the 18th century were influenced by Northern European painters, but above all by Italianate painters—most notably Nicolas Poussin and Gaspard Dughet (whose sister, Anne-Marie, married Poussin in Rome in 1630).
While few landscape painters from this period are represented in museum collections, some can be identified—such as Batiste Feret, who was rediscovered by the 19th-century historian Augustin Jal, the subject of an entry in his *Dictionnaire de Biographie et d'Histoire*.
Another major influence on French landscape painters of this era was the prominent French history painter Charles de La Fosse. Jean-Baptiste Forest—who, incidentally, was married to Charles de La Fosse’s sister—combined idealized compositions and bold, primary colors (reminiscent of Poussin) with a quality of light and warm tones that evoke the style of La Fosse. Also noteworthy are the Allegrains—father and son, Etienne and Gabriel. While Etienne Allegrain has often been compared to Poussin, Gabriel Allegrain produced darker landscapes with a color palette closer to that of Charles de La Fosse, characterized by shades of brown, reddish-brown, and green—a palette that bears a striking resemblance to the one seen in this painting.