Jules-Louis Dupré, 'Willows, with a Man Fishing', probably before 1867
About the work
Overview
A fisherman stands among the rushes that border a pond or a river. Willow trees cluster at the water’s edge, the shade they provide contrasting with the sunlit meadow beyond.
This small landscape was most likely painted in the 1850s around the small town of L’Isle-Adam, about 25 kilometres north of Paris. Situated on the left bank of the River Oise, the town is surrounded by streams, ponds and small lakes. Dupré settled there in 1849 and often painted river scenes that include fishermen.
Of all the artists associated with the Barbizon school of landscape painters, Dupré was perhaps the most influenced by English landscape painting. In 1831 he visited England, where he studied the work of Crome, Turner and Constable. Constable’s influence, especially, can be seen in the small touches of paint and extensive use of white highlights that help create the effect of a bright, sunlit day despite the use of dark green in much of the painting.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Willows, with a Man Fishing
- Artist
- Jules-Louis Dupré
- Artist dates
- 1811 - 1889
- Date made
- probably before 1867
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 21.7 × 27.1 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed
- Acquisition credit
- Salting Bequest, 1910
- Inventory number
- NG2634
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
- Frame
- 19th-century French Frame (original frame)
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Sarah Herring, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Nineteenth Century French Paintings’, vol. 1, ‘The Barbizon School’, London 2019; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2009Corot to Monet: A Fresh Look at Landscape from the CollectionThe National Gallery (London)8 July 2009 - 20 September 2009
-
2023Light and Soul, Early Impressions of the French LandscapeCooper Gallery23 June 2023 - 7 October 2023
Bibliography
-
1957Martin Davies, National Gallery Catalogues: French School, 2nd edn (revised), London 1957
-
1970Davies, Martin, and Cecil Gould, National Gallery Catalogues: French School: Early 19th Century, Impressionists, Post-Impressionists etc., London 1970
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
-
2019Herring, Sarah, National Gallery Catalogues: The Nineteenth Century French Paintings, 1, The Barbizon School, London 2019
Frame
Crafted in the Louis XV style, this nineteenth-century Barbizon frame is a testament to the French mastery of composition moulding. The back edge still retains its original acanthus-leaf motif. The frame features swept outlines with pierced cartouches adorned with palmettes at the corners, and shell motifs at the centre of each edge, complemented by ‘rinceaux’ (branches with foliage) set against a cross-hatched background.
In the 1930s the frame was modified to accommodate a glazing door. There would also have been an acanthus-leaf pattern at the sight edge, bordering the sanded flat, which was replaced with new slip mouldings. This alteration required overgilding, applied with oil size. Made for Dupré’s Willows, with a Man Fishing, this is considered the original frame for this painting.
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.