Old Painting Oil on Canvas Barbizon School Countryside Dog 19th Century

  
Hello, I am selling this painting with a height of 27 cm and a width of 22 cm if we do not take into account its frame. It is a superb oil on canvas, signed at the bottom left by Léonie Brador and dated 1859, representing a scene in which a young girl cleans various kitchen utensils next to her little dog, probably a bichon crossed with another breed, under the soft morning light of the sunrise. Seeing these two figures side by side (almost literally for the animal) with peaceful expressions has a touching and nostalgic feel when it reminds us of the dogs that have shared our lives; it's as if the past and the present are almost palpably connected. This is all the more noticeable because the composition enjoys a tremendous quality of execution for a realistic rendering, whether it's the dog's bust and its hairs that appear to have been painted one by one, the child's face, with its red cheeks and large, innocent eyes, the numerous folds in her clothes, especially her skirt, which reveals the painter's talent, or the many contrasts on the ground or in the sky, where mountains bathed in the morning blur make up the perspective of the work. The painting, despite some small cracks inherent in its age, some small superficial losses of pictorial material here and there, small traces, small flake effects, without gravity, and some small holes in places, is in good overall condition considering its venerable age of 164 years. It has benefited from touch-ups performed by myself, operations that have taken me at least five hours of work as they require patience and precision, to conceal to the best of my abilities the most visible losses of pictorial material, located on the sky, the top of the tap, the child's clothes, the plates, and especially on the body of the wooden pump, where a very old restoration was frankly much too noticeable and detracted from the great quality of the work (see the result before and after touching up all these flaws, the tenth showing them before and the following being pairs of photos "before-after"). It is now less visible, even discreet, except from certain angles and light sources that reveal some small reflections. In its current state, concerning the painting as a whole, and thanks to my efforts, I believe you can do without taking it to a professional restorer, at least for several months, or even several years with a bit of luck (I prefer to add "at least for several months" and "with a bit of luck" for the sake of honesty, although similar touch-ups I had made on other paintings have validated the possibility of durability over several years), which will take up your time and a lot of money, especially since the colors, despite a "slight veil" over the entire surface of the painting, more or less visible depending on the areas concerned, have remained vivid enough to not spoil a potential real crush. Its frame, on the other hand, is certainly of the period, and logically has many flaws, such as wood or gilding losses, and signs of wear, but it still fulfills its purpose of enhancing a painting, and can therefore also be preserved, especially since there are no cracks to be deplored for the wood, with perhaps small restorations made by yourself. Note that the canvas is perfectly taut.

The photos were taken using different light sources. I don't know if the cord on the back of the frame will be strong enough to hang the painting on a wall; I had the painting standing against a stack of books. Attention collectors, people attracted to vintage items, curiosities, decorative objects, or simply admirers of their intrinsic beauty! It's a great gift idea. The shipment will be made with seriousness, unless you prefer a hand delivery, which is 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 from the staff of the relay point or the delivery person, depending on the chosen method of shipment, before they scan the shipping label or perform any other operation confirming that you have received the package; therefore, make sure to check the condition of the box thoroughly before they do so. If your refusal of receipt is formulated, the package will be kept by the relay point or the delivery person in order to be returned to me, for a verification of the delivery service in order to report the responsibility of the delivery person and make the insurance effective (elements gleaned from the Mondial Relay and La Poste websites). If the delivery is made to your mailbox because the dimensions of the package allow it, without hand delivery therefore, with La Poste, and the box is damaged, you will have to return it to the nearest postal point 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 postal point -, but the delivery services count on human error, which suits them well since, I repeat, the insurance is then no longer effective due to damage; less expenses for them!

And don't count on shaking the package to determine if the item is broken; unless it is made of glass or ceramic, the sound of breakage is imperceptible. If you have any questions or would like more photos, please feel free to let me know.