DOI Heft:
No. 300 (March 1918)
DOI Artikel:Halton, Ernest G.: The oil paintings of Henri Harpignies
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21356#0050
The Oil Paintings of Henri Harpignies
Few artists have possessed such a fine sense with Nature in solitude and to omit any human
of design in landscape, and his compositions are element which might disturb the impressive
invariably decorative and well-balanced. Like serenity of the scene.
Turner he did not hesitate to alter and adjust The illustrations which accompany these
in order to preserve the balance and unity of his brief notes have been selected with a view to
pictures, emphasizing or suppressing the details showing the varied aspects of the artist's work
according to their effect on, or relation to, the in oils. The most important example, and
general design. It has been truly said that in perhaps the most characteristic, is the beautiful
painting " fidelity to Nature does not always View in the Campagna (p. 46), in which, against
charm," and some licence is permissible in the the soft luminous sky, the trees stand out with
case of such an artist as Harpignies, whose remarkable clarity; while from the rich,
unerring sense of composition, power of selection, harmonious tones of the foreground the eye is
and comprehensive vision enabled him to render carried across the placid waters of the lake to the
the essentials rather than to register local hills in the distance. Another notable work is
exactness, without disturbing the freshness of the Cap Martin (p. 47), simpler in arrangement
the impulse which inspired him. than the painting just mentioned, but equally
The correctness and precision of his drawing arresting in its impressive beauty. Similar in
gave to his-work at times a suggestion of sharp- feeling are the Bords de la Loire (p. 49) and Les
ness which was peculiarly his
own. It is to be noticed more
particularly in his rendering of
trees; and here it may be
said that his knowledge of the
structure of trees was pro-
found, as may be seen in the
examples of his work illus-
trated here. In their treat-
ment he recalls some of the
earlier masters. But Har-
pignies was no copyist, his art
was essentially personal; and
if in his renderings of foliage
we think we can sometimes
trace an affinity to the
" feathery " effect which is so
characteristic of Corot, a
closer analysis will reveal the
fact that the methods of the
younger artist were consider-
ably broader, and that the
style which he ultimately
developed with such happy-
effect was the result of a
close and passionate study of
Nature and of an intelligent
exploitation of the specific
qualities of the mediums which
he employed.
The . human figure is seldom
found in the landscapes of
Harpignies. Placid tranquil-
lity appealed to him and he
seemed to prefer to commune "le pont" by henri harpignies
44
Few artists have possessed such a fine sense with Nature in solitude and to omit any human
of design in landscape, and his compositions are element which might disturb the impressive
invariably decorative and well-balanced. Like serenity of the scene.
Turner he did not hesitate to alter and adjust The illustrations which accompany these
in order to preserve the balance and unity of his brief notes have been selected with a view to
pictures, emphasizing or suppressing the details showing the varied aspects of the artist's work
according to their effect on, or relation to, the in oils. The most important example, and
general design. It has been truly said that in perhaps the most characteristic, is the beautiful
painting " fidelity to Nature does not always View in the Campagna (p. 46), in which, against
charm," and some licence is permissible in the the soft luminous sky, the trees stand out with
case of such an artist as Harpignies, whose remarkable clarity; while from the rich,
unerring sense of composition, power of selection, harmonious tones of the foreground the eye is
and comprehensive vision enabled him to render carried across the placid waters of the lake to the
the essentials rather than to register local hills in the distance. Another notable work is
exactness, without disturbing the freshness of the Cap Martin (p. 47), simpler in arrangement
the impulse which inspired him. than the painting just mentioned, but equally
The correctness and precision of his drawing arresting in its impressive beauty. Similar in
gave to his-work at times a suggestion of sharp- feeling are the Bords de la Loire (p. 49) and Les
ness which was peculiarly his
own. It is to be noticed more
particularly in his rendering of
trees; and here it may be
said that his knowledge of the
structure of trees was pro-
found, as may be seen in the
examples of his work illus-
trated here. In their treat-
ment he recalls some of the
earlier masters. But Har-
pignies was no copyist, his art
was essentially personal; and
if in his renderings of foliage
we think we can sometimes
trace an affinity to the
" feathery " effect which is so
characteristic of Corot, a
closer analysis will reveal the
fact that the methods of the
younger artist were consider-
ably broader, and that the
style which he ultimately
developed with such happy-
effect was the result of a
close and passionate study of
Nature and of an intelligent
exploitation of the specific
qualities of the mediums which
he employed.
The . human figure is seldom
found in the landscapes of
Harpignies. Placid tranquil-
lity appealed to him and he
seemed to prefer to commune "le pont" by henri harpignies
44