Trees In A Clearing, By Léopold Kowalski (1856–1931)

Charcoal on blue paper, monogrammed “LK” in the lower left corner; view size 30.9 x 23.4 cm

Léopold Franz Kowalski was a painter, engraver, and lithographer born in Paris to Polish parents. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and regularly exhibited his paintings at the Salon beginning in 1883. In 1890, he received his first award, followed in 1891 by a bronze medal at the Salon. His favorite subjects were genre scenes, in which he highlighted the beauty of his female models, and portraits for a wealthy Parisian clientele. In 1912, he left Paris to settle in the Eure department. He then turned to painting landscapes of Brittany and Normandy, followed by intimate portraits of his wife or daughter.

The drawing presented here, probably dating from around 1900, is likely a preparatory study for one of the artist’s paintings (perhaps the one titled "Woman Reading", the whereabouts of which are unknown). Clearings frequently served as the setting for the scenes depicted by Léopold Kowalski during this period, featuring one or more women dancing, reading, gathering flowers, etc., in an atmosphere imbued with calm and romanticism.