Lot 437: Richard Clague (French/New Orleans, 1821-1873),

Richard Clague (French/New Orleans, 1821-1873), "Cow Grazing on the North Shore, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana", oil on canvas, signed "R. CLAGUE" lower right, 16 in. x 20 in., in an antique frame.

Provenance: Vero Beach, Florida estate.

Note: Richard Clague was the father of the great tradition of Louisiana landscape. His highly detailed depictions of the bayous, cabins and farms of the region inspired a whole generation of artists. A review of Clague's work suggests that the Louisiana farm is among his favorite subjects. Numerous paintings including an oak tree, farm buildings, grazing cattle and a large sky feature prominently in his best works. The painting offered here, "Cow Grazing on the North Shore, St. Tammany", depicts a grazing cow at the end of a fence line, intimating the edge of the farm, with thick woods depicted in the background. In this work, Clague employs a slightly different perspective than is commonly seen in his paintings, with a curving stream and bank ending in the middle of the composition and into the dense tree line. The light and bright sky brought close to the tree line reinforces the intimacy of Clague's distinctive view.