Lot 1426: Richard Clague (French/New Orleans, 1821-1873)

Richard Clague (French/New Orleans, 1821-1873) "Early Morning View of a Louisiana Bayou Landscape with a Fisherman in a Pirogue and a Hunter Holding a Rifle, a Homestead Beyond", 1862, oil on panel, signed and dated lower right "R. CLAGUE 62", 18" x 22". Presented in a giltwood frame with a band of scrolling foliate carving. Provenance: Private collection, Natchez, Mississippi. Note: Clague is regarded as the first major Louisiana landscape painter of the 19th century and helped introduce European painting traditions, particularly those of the Barbizon School, to the area. He sought to portray nature in its more coarse and basic reality. In this painting, Clague's delicate handling of the trees and his skillful use of tonal light and color, he captures the unique atmospheric quality of the Louisiana Bayou region as a fisherman and a hunter venture out for the day. Credited with establishing the Louisiana school of landscape painting, Clague influenced and taught many artists including William Henry Buck and Marshall J. Smith. Reference: Historic New Orleans Collection, "Encyclopedia of New Orleans Artists, 1718-1918"; Estill Curtis Pennington, "Look Away- Reality and Sentiment in Southern Art" and "DownRiver- Currents of Style in Louisiana Painting 1800-1950".