Old Oil Painting Tableau from the Auvergne Barbizon School Countryside Cow Castle

  

Hello, I am selling this painting with a height of 37 cm and a width of 64 cm if we only consider the painted part. It is a superb oil on canvas mounted on a wooden panel, signed at the bottom right by M Berthalan and dated 1945, depicting the banks of the Ain, a river whose name is carried by one of our departments. The scene, bathed in a fairly warm yellow light whose hue peaks in the water in the foreground, remarkable for its realism both in color and in its undulations, transports us to the conditions of perhaps a summer afternoon, a feeling reinforced by the presence of this peasant and his cow well in the shade to drink, while a fisherman goes about his business on a boat. The watercourse, behind which the edge of the wood is outlined, composed of a row of well-stocked trees, superbly well executed and reflecting some of their leaves the summer gleams, is not only dominated by the other side of the bank, steep cliffs covered in green where a castle stands on the right flank, but also by this superbly clouded sky. All this landscape strongly reminds me of a place where I have been walking since my childhood and which is located in Lacroix-Falgarde, on the banks of the Garonne, minus the castle.

The painting itself is in very good general condition, with only a few tiny traces of wear here and there and some kind of small masses, fortunately discreet enough; perhaps they serve for the good adhesion of the canvas on the panel. An appreciable detail, it seems to have been varnished quite recently, which explains why it can reflect several reflections depending on the light and the angle of view, in return the colors are magnified. As for the frame, it displays a patinated aspect, no doubt intentional, and also remains in very good general condition. Note, especially visible up close, a slight yellowing/browning at the level of the clouds (the phenomenon is difficult to reproduce in photos even if one guesses it) which could suggest dirt, but after various observations and several opinions from different people gathered, it is very likely that it is effects of paint aiming to reproduce certain nuances of a cloudy sky. The photos were taken under a skylight created by my Velux window, on an afternoon delivering a soft winter light.

After numerous tests, I realized that the rendering of colors in the first two photos, with the material that is mine, is the one that most faithfully reproduces what can be observed in conditions that most people could consider as "normal", namely that would offer a good compromise between sufficient light source and nuanced colors without excess. Note, however, that computer screens or mobile phones other than mine, and depending on their brightness and contrast, may more or less modify the results I have achieved. With these elements in mind, you can nevertheless consider my photos as sufficiently representative sources of reality, in conditions of observation similar to those described above. Attention to collectors, people attracted to vintage items, curiosities, decorative objects, or simply admiring their intrinsic beauty! It's a great gift idea.

The shipment will be done carefully, unless you prefer a hand delivery, entirely possible if you make the trip. WARNING: All my shipments include insurance proportional to the value of the item. Also, in order for it to be taken into account, if the box is (sufficiently) damaged, it is imperative that you refuse the package with the personnel of the relay point or the delivery person, depending on the chosen mode of shipment, before it scans the shipping slip or performs any other operation to confirm that you have indeed received the package; therefore, ask to check the condition of the box thoroughly, without omitting any place, before it acts. If your refusal to receive is formulated, the package will be kept by the relay point or the delivery person in order to be returned to me, with a view to a verification of the delivery service aiming to report the responsibility of the delivery person and to make the insurance effective (elements gleaned from the Mondial Relay and La Poste websites).

If the delivery is made in your mailbox because the dimensions of the package allow it, without a hand delivery, with La Poste, and the box is damaged, you must bring it back to the nearest post office without opening it. Please note that in all these cases you may think, for any reason, that the item inside the box remains in perfect condition and therefore accept the delivery of the package - or not go to the nearest post office -, but the delivery services count on the margin of error, which incidentally suits them well since, I repeat, the insurance is then no longer effective due to damage; less expenses for them therefore! And do not count on a "shake" of the package to determine if the object is broken; unless it is glass or ceramic, the sound of breakage is imperceptible.

If you have any questions or would like more photos, do not hesitate to let me know.