The Castle of Clisson

Henri-Joseph Harpignies 1819 - 1916

Summary

The Castle of Clisson is on the banks of the Sèvre nantaise in western France. Harpignies has painted its creamy stonework lit up by the sun and framed by riverside trees. Despite the title, this is as much a naturalistic depiction of the local landscape. Our view is from the shade of the nearby trees, so our eyes are drawn naturally to the much brighter background, although Harpignies has created interest in the foreground too, using bright greens and heavy impasto to suggest the rocky, uneven terrain and adding a pale path that zigzags to the riverbank, where a boat is visible. Harpignies, who was born in Valenciennes, rejected a future in local business to join the Parisian studio of the landscape painter Jean Achard (1807-1884). His mature style derived from several contrasting influences. Visits to Italy in 1849-52 and 1863-5 had a formative effect and in this his work is particularly close to that of his friend, Corot, who strove for a refined and elegant naturalism. His style also owed much to the work of his other Barbizon friends and acquaintances, with whom he worked regularly in the Forest of Fontainebleau from the mid-1850s.