Barbizon Antique Landscape Painting of Harvest by Olof Hermelin (Swedish, 1827-1913)

A vibrant scene of workers laboring in the field to collect the harvest, it is a good example of Hermelin’s early adoption of the impressionistic taste. Heavily influenced by the Barbizon School after visiting France during the 1870s, Hermelin’s work reflected both the philosophical and aesthetic values of the school, embracing a truth in untamed nature with all its flaws. This example is almost sketch-like in its rendering of figures and fields, the broad brush-work ignoring proportions and technical exactness with emphasis instead placed on the shadows and contours of the landscape itself. All elements align to culminate in the centermost figure, a young woman in a field full of men standing proudly behind a wooden rake wearing her distinct hat tilted against the sun.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
* E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. VI, Gründ, 2006, p. 1445-46
Measurements: 10 5/8″ H x 15 1/8″ W [canvas]; 13″ H x 17 5/8″ W x 1 7/8″ D [frame]
Condition Report: Contemporary frame in good condition. Unlined with original stretcher and keys. Professionally conserved: a portion of the old inpaint and overpaint from two prior restorations removed, all color-enhancing glazes removed, losses inpainted, new Damar varnish applied to seal surface. Under UV examination the extensive prior restorations become visible, showing extensive inpainting throughout the sky, touch ups visible in numerous areas of the field and in the trees at the horizon. Craquelure throughout. Signature untouched. Ready to hang.