Julien Dupré - Reapers
Unlike Millet and Breton, Dupré paints his figures in action enhanced by varied landscapes and dynamic skies. The main figures in the painting are brought up close to the picture plane, a technique used by both Millet and Breton in order to emphasise their monumental quality. In the present work, three figures toil at midday, bringing in litters of hay from the fields. The two main figures are brought close to the picture plane, emphasising their monumentality and integrating them to the landscape. The third figure echoes their toils slightly in the background. Dynamic forces of nature, shown in the much looser handling of the clouds rolling across the afternoon sky, the sheaves of hay tossed on the litters and the free handling of the field beneath the peasants’ feet are further enhanced by the more precise brushwork in the three main figures, who are solidly anchored to the earth.
[Christie’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 54.6 x 73 cm]
Julien Dupré - Reapers
Unlike Millet and Breton, Dupré paints his figures in action enhanced by varied landscapes and dynamic skies. The main figures in the painting are brought up close to the picture plane, a technique used by both Millet and Breton in order to emphasise their monumental quality. In the present work, three figures toil at midday, bringing in litters of hay from the fields. The two main figures are brought close to the picture plane, emphasising their monumentality and integrating them to the landscape. The third figure echoes their toils slightly in the background. Dynamic forces of nature, shown in the much looser handling of the clouds rolling across the afternoon sky, the sheaves of hay tossed on the litters and the free handling of the field beneath the peasants’ feet are further enhanced by the more precise brushwork in the three main figures, who are solidly anchored to the earth.
[Christie’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 54.6 x 73 cm]