Grande huile - Étude des arbres

Description
This large early Impressionist oil painting depicts a serene woodland landscape suffused with a warm, golden luminosity closely aligned with late 19th-century tonal landscape traditions. Painted in oil, the composition centers on a rhythmic line of slender trees rising from softly articulated ground, with atmospheric depth created through layered earth tones, muted greens, and hazy ochres. The handling of light and shadow, along with the subdued palette and gently blurred forms, shows clear visual parallels to George Inness’s Orange Road, Tarpon Springs (c. 1893), particularly in its spiritualized approach to nature and emphasis on mood over topographical detail. Brushwork is restrained yet expressive, allowing texture and tonal transitions to convey shifting light across the scene. The overall effect is contemplative and meditative, reflecting a period when landscape painting moved toward poetic interpretation rather than direct observation, resulting in a quietly powerful and visually immersive work.

Artist
The artist is presently unknown and likely active in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Artist Details
Stylistically, the painter demonstrates strong affinity with American and European tonal landscape traditions, favoring atmospheric unity and emotional resonance. The work suggests academic grounding combined with a progressive shift toward impressionistic light effects and simplified natural forms.

Movements
Early Impressionism / Tonalism

Artist Influenced by
Influenced by the work of George Inness and the broader Barbizon and Tonalist landscape schools.

Frame Condition
Set within a wide, dark-stained wooden frame showing age-related wear and patina, consistent with the painting’s period.