Countryside Sky

19th-century French School oil on canvas signed William Barbotin (1861-1931). The work is smooth to the touch.

A landscape with thin, even brushstrokes and diffused light, reminiscent of the open fields of France. The wide, clear sky occupies nearly half of the work and provides a contemplative effect. The landscape palette pairs perfectly with the copper and clay hues of the Montparnasse frame.

About the artist: William Barbotin was a French painter, engraver and sculptor born in Ars-en-Ré (New Aquitaine) August 25, 1861. He died November 12, 1931 in Paris.

Barbotin was noticed starting at a very young age for his talents as an artist. He left his home for Paris at the age of 19 to attend various studios and joined the School of Fine Arts. With a specialization in chiseled engravings, he quickly rose to fame by winning the 1st Grand Prix de Rome for engraving when he was just 23 years old. The prestigious Villa Medici hosted him for two years, where he perfected his art and built upon his reputation.

As a politically committed artist, he collaborated with various revolutionary leaders of the time while continuing to multiply distinctions and government engraving and painting commissions. He produced the official portrait of the French Republic President Armand Fallières in 1906.

A family man, he had three children with his wife, and at the time he passed away in 1931, he was considered one of the greatest engravers of the Belle Epoque period.

• Overall Size: 20" x 25.5" / 51.5cm x 65cm.
• Size without the frame: 12.9" x 18.1" / 33cm x 46cm.
• Country: France. 
• Signed: William Barbotin (1861-1931).
• Date: Late 1800s.
• Condition: The canvas has 2 small openings of 0.3" and another smaller one. The frame is in good condition despite small impacts and losses.
  
• Materials: Oil on stretched canvas.
• Shipping: Free global shipping to the US and Europe. A surcharge is added for Australia and New Zealand, and Asia.