Jean Pierre François Lamorinière, Barbizon at Sunset, 1853

by Atelier Liesjes

As evening falls, a tranquil landscape lies beneath a high, cloudy sky. On the left stands a low cottage with a steep tiled roof, a chimney and an adjoining shed; the façade is almost black. From the foreground, a sandy track with deep cart ruts leads to a light-coloured clearing amongst the trees. On the right, a dense cluster of tall trees rises up, dark brown and almost black, with the occasional streak of light between the trunks. The sky is the true subject: sky blue with long, stretched-out clouds, and just above the horizon a narrow band of pale yellow and pearly white, the last light of the setting sun.
Lamorinière paints twilight as a state of stillness. There is no person, no animal, no gesture: only the little house, the road and the woods. The brushstrokes are broad and at times sparse, the paint applied thinly, so that the underlayer shows through in places. The palette is extremely restrained: lead grey, umber, moss green, olive green and a hint of golden yellow on the horizon. The influence of the Barbizon School is evident in the preference for the ordinary landscape, the vast expanse of sky and the loose, swift observation. Nevertheless, the composition remains classical, with the road serving as a line leading into the distance and the trees acting as dark counterpoints.
Jean Pierre François Lamorinière (Antwerp 1828 – Antwerp 1911) was a Belgian landscape painter known for his precise, almost scientific observation of trees, water and the sky. He often painted in the Kempen region and in France, where he became acquainted with the work of the Barbizon painters. His work won awards at the salons and can be seen in Belgian museums. At the top of the painting is his signature with the date 1853. A tranquil, atmospheric landscape suitable for a classical interior.