Alexandre-Hyacinthe Dunouy

With Etienne Breton, Paris;
From whom purchased by the present collector in circa 1999.

Panel is uncradled, flat and stable. there is burlap and animal hair glued to the reverse for support. the paint surface has been very well preserved and there is lovely retention of detail throughout. examination under ultraviolet light reveals tiny cosmetic dots of repaint here and there in sky and a slightly larger area of retouching in sky at far left edge and an area in foliage lower right. these have been well applied and there is no need for further work. In a gilt wood frame with egg and dart pattern on inner rim.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Alexandre-Hyacinthe Dunouy can be included among artists such as Valenciennes, Michallon, Bertin and Bidauld who were the first generation to embrace plein air painting. They were not concerned with the traditional types of landscape painting; they sought to capture, on paper and canvas, the light and atmosphere found in nature.

After an apprenticeship with the historical painter Gabrial Briard, Dunouy submitted a landscape to the 'Salon de la Jeunesse' in 1781. Shortly after this, in 1787-1790, the artist took his first trip to Italy. His travels through that country are well documented by numerous dated and located works (Marino 1788, Tivoli 1789, Isola 1790). His sojourn to Italy and his return trip through the Jura, Switzerland and Savoy surely provided ample material for the canvases he submitted to the Salon from 1791 onwards. Included among the subjects he presented were views from Rome, the surrounding towns, as well as the landscape of the French countryside.

The present panel, dated 1811, was probably executed during his stay in Naples, where he is recorded from 1810-1815. During this time he would certainly have been present to witness the spectacular eruption of Vesuvius in December of 1813. The painting demonstrates Dunouy's meticulous attention to detail, which he learned in part from his early collaborations with Jean-Louis Demarne and Nicolas-Antoine Taunay.