Stanislas-Victor-Edmond Lépine, 'A Gateway behind Trees', 1870-92
About the work
Overview
This small oil painting on paper mounted on canvas is attributed to Stanislas-Victor-Edmond Lépine, whose signature is faintly visible. The paper is torn along the edges and a darker underlayer suggests an earlier composition has been painted over.
A simple path in a park or woodland leads to an open gateway flanked by two posts and high stone walls. On the right, there is a house with a red tiled roof. Formerly titled Matinal (In The Morning or Early Morning), the picture is bathed in pale sunlight, its faintly yellow hue complementing the green tones of the foliage and undergrowth. The location may be Montmartre, an area in the north of Paris where many artists, including perhaps Lépine, lived and had their studios.
Lépine appears to have been self taught, but in his twenties he became a student of Corot. His use here of subtle tonal harmonies shows his teacher’s influence, but does not match Corot’s quality of observation.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- A Gateway behind Trees
- Artist dates
- 1835 - 1892
- Date made
- 1870-92
- Medium and support
- oil on paper, mounted on canvas
- Dimensions
- 32.7 × 21.6 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed
- Acquisition credit
- Presented by Victor Rienaecker through the Art Fund to the Tate Gallery, 1923; transferred, 1956
- Inventory number
- NG1361
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, with additions and some revisions by Cecil Gould, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: French School: Early 19th Century, Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, etc.’, London 1970; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
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
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.
Images
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