John Leslie Breck (1860-1899)
Property from the Terra Foundation for the Arts Sold to Benefit the Acquisitions Fund
John Leslie Breck (1860-1899)

Study for 'Indian Summer'

Details
John Leslie Breck (1860-1899)
Study for 'Indian Summer'
signed and dated 'John L. Breck 92' (lower left)
oil on canvas
155/8 x 195/8 in. (39.7 x 49.8 cm.)
Provenance
Berry-Hill Galleries, New York.
Literature
Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865-1915, Chicago, Illinois, 1992, p. 51. illustrated

Lot Essay

In 1887 Breck made his first visit to Giverny, a town just outside Paris, France known for its Impressionist artist's colony. He met and befriended Claude Monet, Giverny's foremost and celebrated resident. As a result of Monet's innovative style and critical acclaim, artists and students from all around the world inspired by Monet's talents and painting theories soon populated Giverny for its gardens and artistic community. During his stay at Giverny and visits with Monet he was greatly influenced by Monet's style and theories of imagery. He created many garden scenes with Monet and later exhibited the Giverny canvases in Boston.

The artist spent his later years painting in the areas surrounding Boston Massachusetts which became his last residence. Painted in 1892, Study for Indian Summer was most likely painted outside Boston. In this painting Breck has given us a sense of autumn light and atmosphere. He used a style of alternating brush work combined with slight usage of paint for accentuating areas of foliage, he then builds up the forest with greens, greys and sienna and fills the foreground with soft colors of late summer that illuminate into wind swept brush. This study is a perfect example of his long exploration into his impressionistic style of painting.

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