Classical Landscape Painting - An International Private Collection

Landscape painting as an artistic genre experienced a significant renewal in the late 19th century. While landscapes as subject matter were not new, societal changes and emerging artistic movements in literature, music, and art encouraged a fresh perspective on one's surroundings. Instead of merely serving as a backdrop to a scene, there was a newfound interest in depicting nature itself. Artists began painting outdoors, directly in front of their subjects, viewing the landscape as an exciting challenge with its numerous elements such as light, shadows, weather, and wind.

France stood out as the epicenter of this pioneering spirit, where artists early on broke away from traditional institutions in search of new means of expression, culminating in the Impressionist Exhibition of April 1874. Independent and loosely affiliated groups of artists experimented and created en plein air painting, which had a profound influence on many artists across Europe and Scandinavia, notably the Swedes. This collection includes several French plein air painters who share the commonality of having been associated with the renowned Barbizon School at some point and having studied under the esteemed plein air painter Camille Corot. The works of Francois-Louis Francais, Emile Lambinet, and Louis-Alexandre Bouche, with their "airy" colors and soft forms, are fine examples of the French orientation. Read more