Le Sentier / Arbres prés d'un Lac (two plates printed on same sheet for publication)

Henri-Joseph Harpignies

By 1875 painter and printmaker Henri-Joseph Harpignies had begun to establish himself as an internationally recognized artist. In a few years his work would hang in galleries in London and New York, and he would become a sought-after mentor for artists throughout Europe. His engravings were published with some frequency at this point and his style reflected a love of idyllic, Old Master ideology. He made clear his affinity for Italian Old Masters - despite the claim of critics that he belonged in the Barbizon School.

In Le Sentier (The Path) and Arbres pres d’une Lac (Trees near a Lake), he communicates in miniature what he aims for in his large oils: a softness of line without sacrificing detail, and a sense of tranquil solitude. In each image a lone figure is seen strolling and sitting in a wintery landscape, the bare branches of trees delicately stretching out against a white sky. Even in such small formats, it is clear what the artist is trying to convey: a love of nature, and humankind’s place within it.