31 - Narcisse Virgile DIAZ DE LA PEÑA (1807–1876)

Narcisse Virgile DIAZ DE LA PEÑA (1807–1876) Children Plucking Tree Branches Oil on panel 27 x 21.5 cm Signed lower left: N. Diaz Bears a barely legible stamp on the reverse, likely “Muller et fils,” Rue Chabrol in Paris, one of the suppliers to the Barbizon painters, including N. Diaz The painting is described and reproduced under No. 2348 in the Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings of Pierre and Rolande Miquel, erroneously titled *Three Little Woodcutters in the Forest* (the composition features four children, not three). A correction will be made in the supplement to the catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Rolande Miquel and Michael T. Klaa, who have authenticated the painting. Provenance: Collection of Mr. S. van Walchren van Wadenoyen, Nimmerdor—Province of Holland, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Lot No. 28, sale of the collection of the late Mr. S. van Walchren van Wadenoyen, Drouot, Paris, April 24–25, 1876. Notary Charles Pillet, assisted by Georges Petit and Durand Ruel; titled *Children Pulling Tree Branches*. Allard Gallery, Paris. Boussod-Valadon Gallery, Paris, France, photograph No. 0217 11291. No. 37, auction by Messrs. Jean Chenu and Benoît Scrive, Lyon, France, November 19 and 20, 2020, titled *Children at Play*. Lyon collection. Emile Bergerat (1845–1923), a poet, writer, and author of the preface to the van Walchren auction catalog, describes the work as “a delightful composition by Diaz, from his prime.” Its owner had built a gallery in his “château des arts” to house his cherished paintings, which was opened to the public once a week. This “period” spans 1840–1845. Diaz was at the height of his talent and was producing numerous genre scenes at the time, whose delicate brushwork and rich palette delighted collectors.