3217 - GUSTAVE LOISEAU

GUSTAVE LOISEAU (1865 Paris 1935) The Church at Bennecourt. 1901. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower left: G. Loiseau / 1901. 61 × 74 cm. Provenance: - Galerie Durand Ruel, Paris, acquired from the artist in 1901. - Durand Ruel Galleries, New York (remnants of a label on the reverse). - Macbeth Gallery, New York. - Sotheby’s New York auction, October 8, 1986, lot 149. - Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in the late 1980s. - Sotheby’s auction, England, May 4, 2022, lot 117. - Private collection, London. The work is registered in the archives of Didier Imbert. Loiseau painted the imposing church at Bennecourt, with its pointed tower, on several occasions and under various weather conditions. In this painting, the church—like so many of his subjects, located in the Île-de-France region—is nestled in a peaceful, idyllic winter landscape. The colors are soft and harmonious, dominated by delicate pastel shades. Gentle, subdued light accentuates the slightly misty atmosphere of the winter scene. The lightly impastoed brushstrokes lend the painting depth and texture, bringing out both the thin layer of snow covering the ground and the dense, mist-laden clouds overhead. The scene conveys a sense of peace and serenity—almost a quiet longing to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse oneself in the stillness of winter. * Full tax is charged on this item marked with an asterisk (*); that is, VAT is charged on the total amount but will be refunded to purchasers who provide a validly stamped export declaration.