Théobald Michou (Tournai, 1676 – Anversa, 1765)

Théobald Michou (Tournai, 1676 – Antwerp, 1765) River landscape with village Oil on canvas (62 x 98 cm. Framed 74 x 110 cm.) Full details (click HERE) We present this vast and harmonious composition, where a characteristic river landscape serves as the stage for an exquisite extract of popular life, set in a small village, with the actual city in the distance. The painting, which presents characters inextricably linked to the Flemish culture of the second half of the 17th century, shows iconographic and stylistic correspondences, in particular, with the successful production of Théobald Michou (Tournai, 1676 – Antwerp, 1765). Trained in the studio of the landscape painter Lucas Achtschellinck in Brussels, he very quickly obtained great recognition, to the point of receiving numerous commissions from the French court. Obviously influenced by the humanistic landscapes of Jan Brueghel the Younger, of whom he was also a pupil, the painter animates them with numerous characters from peasant life, all immersed in a soft atmosphere with golden tones. Apart from the figure of a duck hunter along the waterway, the rest of the protagonists are circumscribed in a pleasant family setting, animated by many figures busy with their varied daily activities: the mother and grandmother caring for a newborn, a young man intent on watching over the herd that drinks, the old men who play and converse at a table, another woman intent on cooking, with a dog that seems to look at her curiously. This is a subject that the painter has addressed on several occasions and with varying degrees of variation; for comparative purposes we can mention: - Landscape with village scene, Instituut Collectie Nederland, Amsterdam (inv. archive RKD 19607) - imm.1 - River landscape with figures in a ferry and shepherds, Sotheby's, London, 2016-12-07, lot 186 (inv. archive RKD 274908) - imm.2 - Coastal landscape, Sotheby's, London, 2007-07-05, lot 114 (inv. archive RKD 197921) - imm.3 - Landscape with market, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum (inv. archive RKD 278061) - imm.4 - Landscape with religious activities near a ferry, Sotheby's Amsterdam, 2010-11-30, lot 85 (inv. archive RKD 237039) - imm.5 - Landscape along a river with farms, cattle and a cart, Sotheby's London, 1997-07-03, lot 117 (inv. archive RKD 33570) - imm.6 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work sold is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee. We handle and organize the transport of the works purchased, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works. In the event that the work is purchased by non-Italian customers, it will be necessary to obtain an export permit which takes approximately 10/20 days, our gallery will take care of the entire phase until it is obtained. All costs of this procedure are included. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/