Charles-Emile Jacque

CHARLES-EMILE JACQUE (France, 1813 - 1894).
"Shepherdess and flock in lake landscape".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower margin.
Measurements: 61 x 50 cm; 87 x 77 cm (frame).

A shepherdess takes care of her flock next to a creek, whose calm waters lead the look towards a horizon bathed by the light of the sunset. The landscape opens serenely, combining rural intimacy with a balanced and poetic composition. Earthy and ochre tones dominate the palette. In the sky, silvery colors merge with those of water, establishing a visual dialogue between sky and earth, characteristic of Jacque's luminous sensibility.

Charles-Emile Jacque was a French painter and engraver of the Barbizon School who specialized in painting animals. He began learning to engrave maps when he was in the French army. After military service, he went to England, where he worked as an engraver for Le Charivari. In painting, his subject matter was mainly rustic: shepherds, flocks of sheep, pigs, and scenes of farm life. Returning to France after living abroad for two years, he made his debut at the Paris Salon of 1833 with two works and contributed works regularly to the Salon until 1870. Awarded for both his etchings and his paintings, he received the Legion of Honor in 1867.