Nestled in the valley of Chamonix Mont Blanc is the Swiss Alps, the views of nature are just breathtaking. My paternal grandmother was born in Switzerland, and having been there several times, I can hardly imagine anyone leaving it. From her parents' area, one can be at this view point in under an hour, even on small Swiss roads. This is someone's oil painting of one view, nicely composed and painted in a manner reminiscent of the French Impressionists. So much color in this, closely viewed, all strokes and dabs, and yet seems rather realistic from a distance. I've included a photo of the area in snowier months. The artist has signed the work, and it is rather simply framed in a wooden frame which has been painted at some point. You can see plenty of age to the canvas edges, entirety of which has be bonded, a French preservation process, to a more sturdy new linen canvas so the painting will survive another century or more. Artist's signature is lower left, and I've enlarged it for your review because I can't make it out. Also, written on back, the scene. Stretcher frame helps date it latest 1800s to earliest 1900s. Perfect size: 27" x 21" in frame. I'm noting this with Black Forest because it so perfectly shows the kind of terrain from which the hand carved Black Forest carvings come from. Final photo shows it beautifully alongside a couple I just listed this week. We also have large carved Swiss game plaques - look for all of those separately for your cabin, lodge, Country French home decor.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. The bonding is a professional French method of preserving the antique paintings, and you'll see no holes nor tears in the canvas, and I find not a hint of restoration on the front side of painting. The old frame begins to shed some of the warm gray paint. I found this one in France, shipped it home with intention of hanging in our old stone home in the mountains, but here it remains in the warehouse. Time to downsize. It might have been someone's souvenir of their turn of century Grand Tour. What could be more soothing than a springtime path through wildflowers and forest, snow capped mountains in the distance? Seems as though I could use a trip to our other home, huh. Or back to Switzerland. Full measurements are noted on the photos.
