Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (French, 1844-1925)
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (French, 1844-1925)

Avril

Details
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (French, 1844-1925)
Avril
signed 'L. Lhermitte' (lower left)
pastel on paper laid down on canvas
32¼ x 42½ in. (82 x 108 cm.)
Executed in 1911
Provenance
Boussod, Valadon & Cie., Paris, no. 21725.
Reinhart, 1911.
A. Tooth, London, 1912.
M. Seyhold, 1 February 1915.
Redfern Gallery.
A. Tooth, London, 1919.
M. Newman Ltd., 1973.
Literature
Apollo, June 1973 as Paysage au Printemps.
M. Le Pelly Fonteny, Léon Augustin Lhermitte, 1844-1925 catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1991, p. 258, no. 569 (illustrated).
Exhibited
London, M. Newman, Ltd., La Vue Française, 1840-1940, June 1973, no. 28.

Lot Essay

Throughout his career, Lhermitte remained devoted to his subject matter, the peasant, which to him was the embodiment of the most fundamental and consistent element in human society. Although Lhermitte was well related in artistic circles, and was aware of both revolutionary movements as well as the rapid industrial changes of his time, a favorite subject of the emerging impressionist painters, he established a career depicting the essence of rural life. Lhermitte was not alone in his choice of the peasant and rural life as the subject matter for his art. Artists such as Jean Cazin, a close friend of Lhermitte's, Julien Dupré, Jules Breton, and Jules Bastien-Lepage, to name a few, communicated as well as idealized through their work, the pride, integrity and innocence that the rural classes comprised.

Coloring in Lhermitte's art is highly representative of the intended mood and functions as one of the artist's main tools of expression. In this work, he uses muted and pastel hues yet the colors are bright indicating the tender beginnings of love between the young couple.

An oil replica of the present work was exhibited at the Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts, 1912, under the title Printemps (no. 871). This second version, commissioned by Reinhardt, the original owner of this work, which he purchased for 25,000 FF.

More from 19th Century European Art and Fine 19th Century European Art

View All
View All