Paysage (1868)

Henri-Joseph Harpignies prints offer the quiet beauty of the French countryside: riverbanks on the Loire, tall trees against an evening sky, village roads and woodland clearings. A painter of the Barbizon school and a close friend of Corot, Harpignies worked into his nineties. Our collection of fine art prints covers his oil landscapes, his watercolours, which he took unusually seriously, and his views of Rome and Nice.

About Henri-Joseph Harpignies

Henri-Joseph Harpignies was born in Valenciennes in 1819. His parents wanted him in business, but he was determined to paint, and at 27 he entered the Paris studio of Jean Achard, who gave him a sound training in drawing. He then spent time in Italy, returning in 1850.

Back in France he met Corot and the other Barbizon painters, and he and Corot became close friends, travelling to Italy together in 1860. His first great success came at the Salon of 1861, and in 1886 his Evening in the Roman Campagna won a medal and was bought for the Luxembourg Gallery.

Many of his best works were painted at Hérisson in the Bourbonnais, and in the Nivernais and Auvergne. He also painted a panel for the Paris Opéra and taught many students, including James Wilson Morrice. He died at Saint-Privé on 28 August 1916, aged 97.

Style and Subjects

Harpignies's landscapes are built on strong, careful drawing, a lesson from Achard. He loved trees, especially big oaks and chestnuts silhouetted against the sky, and he often painted the hour of evening, when light lies low across rivers and fields.

Unusually for a French painter of his time, he gave watercolour as much attention as oil. His watercolours are fresh and quick, with clear washes of green, gold and blue, and they show his eye for the shape of a tree or the line of a riverbank.

Famous Works

• Bords de la Loire (Study for Les Corbeaux) (1862). A riverbank study for one of his chief Salon pictures.
• The River Loire at Nevers. The broad Loire, a river he painted all his life.
• Road at Hérisson. A village road in the Bourbonnais, where he painted many of his best works.
• De Saint-Privé à Bléneau, Souvenir de l'Yonne (1885). Countryside near Saint-Privé, his home in later life.
• Landscape with a River (Valley in the South of France) (1892), Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. A broad river valley in southern light.
• Saint Peter's Seen from the Pincio, Rome. The great dome across the rooftops of Rome.
• Vue de Nice (1886). A sunny view of the Riviera.

Decorating with Harpignies Prints

Harpignies's calm landscapes suit a living room, bedroom or study, anywhere you want a restful view. His tree-filled riverbanks and evening scenes look lovely over a sofa, sideboard or bed, with soft greens, golds and greys that sit easily with natural wood and linen.

The watercolours and the views of Rome and Nice are lighter and brighter, good for a hallway, guest room or sunny breakfast room. Gilt frames suit the oils; thin wood or white frames suit the watercolours.

FAQ

What art movement was Harpignies part of?

He was a landscape painter of the Barbizon school, which painted the French countryside directly from nature in the mid-19th century.

Was Harpignies a friend of Corot?

Yes. The two were close friends and travelled to Italy together in 1860.

What are Harpignies's most famous paintings?

Among his chief pictures are Evening on the Banks of the Loire (1861), Les Corbeaux (1865), Le Soir (1866), La Loire (1882) and View of Saint-Privé (1883).

Where can I see Harpignies's work?

His paintings are in many French museums and in British and American collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Did Harpignies paint watercolours?

Yes, and he took them unusually seriously for a French painter of his day. He was also a printmaker.

Related Artists

• Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot: his close friend and companion in Italy
• Théodore Rousseau: leading painter of the Barbizon school
• Charles-François Daubigny: Barbizon painter of rivers and riverbanks
• Constant Troyon: Barbizon painter of landscapes and cattle
• James Wilson Morrice: Canadian painter who studied with him