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View of a Gorge in Italy
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Chauvin specialized in idealized landscapes with classicized figures or antique themes. He based his art, however, on the direct perception of nature, making quick oil sketches like this one, done outside. Such oil sketches were not considered works of art in their own right; rather, they were kept by the artist for later use in the studio as a means of refreshing his memory or as a teaching aid. Today, these oil studies are more highly valued and collectible than the large-scale neoclassical landscapes for which they were originally mere preparatory studies, because they are the direct forerunners of impressionist painting.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Hôtel Drouot Sale, March 13, 1970 [no catalogue]; Marie-Madeleine Aubrun, 1970, by purchase; Hôtel Drouot Sale, November 27, 1998, lot. 54; Bertrand Gautier [Talabardon & Gautier], Paris, 1998, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 2004, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2002 | Le Paysage français de Valenciennes à Bonnington. Talabardon & Gautier, Paris. |
| 1974 | Aspects du paysage néo-classique en France de 1790 à 1855. Galerie du Fleuve, Paris. |
Geographies
Italy (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 17 5/8 x W: 11 5/8 in. (44.77 x 29.53 cm); Framed H: 22 7/16 × W: 16 5/16 × D: 1 15/16 in. (57 × 41.5 × 5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 2004
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2771