French school, second half of the 19th century
Stormy Sky by a Lake, a Bark and Sailing Boats, a Woman reading on the Riverbank
Oil on paper laid down on canvas and mounted on chassis.
Signed by initials CA or CH lower right.
155 x 235 mm – 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 in.
In this lovely oil on paper, two women are shown embarking into a rowboat paddled by a man, as a storm is approaching: the darkening sky on the right-hand side, the billowing sails of the boat on the background, the birds flying rather low in the sky, and the grey and mauve glints on the river surface make palpable the sudden cooling of air and gust of wind which precede storm. A reading woman is lingering on the river bank while figures are walking away under the trees. The liveliness and sensibility of this beautiful sketch, whose monogram we have not been able to identify, capture the viewer’s attention.
