Europe, ca. 18th century. A beautiful landscape painting with soft light highlighting elements of the idyllic pastoral scene. Several human figures line the central path - two sheep herders, a worker digging the earth, a horse and rider, and a pair of tiny staffage figures, perhaps a mother and child, in the distance. Additional animals, including a cow to the left of the path and a pair of donkeys to the right, look on from the wilderness. In the distance, beyond the forest, the skyline of a charming village featuring a church with a prominent steeple is bathed in sunlight. An impressive painting rendered with a marvelous contrast between the intensely lit village in the background and the shadowy dense woodland in the foreground, as well as an endearing ensemble of figures that conjure playful narratives, mounted in an attractive custom frame. Size (painting): 28" L x 35.875" W (71.1 cm x 91.1 cm) Size (frame): 33" L x 40.875" W (83.8 cm x 103.8 cm)

Please note: pigments have been tested via x-ray florescence and are consistent with the period.

Provenance: private Rancho Mirage, California, USA collection, by inheritance in 2020; ex-Dr. TDR Berreth, California, USA, acquired before 1982

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#179154

There is no inpainting. Some darkening and craquelure. Craquelure is stable, so possibly conserved from a structural standpoint by a past owner. Brown dots on verso of canvas likely due to iron content of pigments. Pigments have been tested via x-ray florescence and are consistent with the period.