Achille Etna Michallon

Rowell collection, France;

From whom acquired by the present owner.

Michallon was a key figure in the evolution of French landscape painting: he studied with Jacques-Louis David, spent critical years of his career in Italy (having won the Prix de Rome in 1817), and trained the next generation of plein air artists, including Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Here, Michallon depicts two figures travelling along a sun-dappled countryside lane. The setting sun bathes the scene in a rosy glow, endowing the image with an atmospheric lyricism.