Narcisse Díaz de la Peña: Pivotal early work

Exhibitions
Exhibition Rouen, 1839
Loterie des Amis des Arts
Refuse au Salon de 1838 (possibly)

 

Chaumière Sous Bois is one of the earliest works by Díaz to enter the market and demonstrates the serious role that the Barbizon aesthetic would come to play in his practice. He employs advanced techniques associated with Dutch Old Master painters, particularly in the deep, rich glazing used in the wooded area on the left. The sense of light is equally nuanced and clearly influenced by earlier painting traditions. As his work progresses, a shift can be seen toward a less translucent approach in the rendering of skies.

It is no surprise that Pierre Miquel noted this painting was inspired by Díaz’s trip to Holland in 1838. The figures are clearly derived from sketches made during this journey. A common approach at the time, artists produced numerous preparatory studies of individual elements, later combining them into a final composition. Miquel also notes Díaz’s interest in 17th-century Dutch engravings, which helps explain the ease and formality of this composition. Once understood, these influences clarify the structure and balance of the work.

Painted on cradled panel, this may be a significant early work by the artist and one of his strongest from this period, foreshadowing developments that would define his later career. Its exhibition history, including Exhibition Rouen, 1839, Loterie des Amis des Arts, and its rejection from the Salon of 1838, may further underscore the artist’s own complex relationship to this work.