Dutch school of the second third of the 19th century

Dutch School, second third s.XIX.
"Village scene".1861.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated "C.Poussin" in the lower left corner.
Relined about fifty years ago.
19th century stretcher frame.
Measurements: 98 x 115 cm; 120 x 138 cm (frame).
Costumbrista scene of Dutch school, characterized by the descriptive precision and the anecdotal wealth that impregnates it. A traveling saleswoman of feminine clothes arranges on the ground her cloths, before another young woman whose hair is being cut by a hairdresser in the open air. The saleswoman's donkey, unloaded from its harness, takes advantage of the break to graze. The scene is set in a small Dutch village, animated by other groups chatting or working. The Dutch essence is captured in the feminine coiffures and folkloric costumes, but without acquiring an exotic varnish. In the distance, a spire can be seen peeking through the foliage behind the humble gable-roofed houses, gracefully climbing their ivy festoons. A cheerful palette of contrasting polychromes connotes the scene, resolved in a detailed language that reflects the best tradition of the Netherlands: its mastery in extracting the right qualities from the garments, the flesh tones, but also from the landscape.