Ch. Herve (XIX) - Hirte mit Schafen

CH. HERVE. France, active in the 19th century.
A shepherd with a sheep.
oil on wood.
Bottom left, signed 'CH. HERVE'.
35 x 26.4 cm (13.8 x 10.4 inches).

It concerns the work of a specialized genre painter of the 19th century, whose identity in the art-historical context is not unequivocally established. The work stands as exemplary for the animal painting that was widespread in the late 19th century, which focused on the realistic depiction of rural motifs.

• Visual execution: The composition uses targeted lighting from the upper right to distinctly highlight the various surfaces, especially the wool of the sheep and the straw.

• Thematic context: The barn interior was a classical subject of the era, focusing on the calm, almost static portrayal of livestock in their familiar surroundings.

• Painterly execution: The artist works with an earthy color palette and an impasto application in the light areas, which gives the scene a solid sense of spatial depth.

• Iconography: The depiction of the animals at the trough and the manger constitutes a typical snapshot of rural everyday life, without pursuing any complex symbolism.

• Condition: The work is in good overall condition; the wooden support is stable, and the paint layer shows age-appropriate, fine craquelure and a yellowed, age-appropriate varnish.

• Market context: Solidly crafted works of this kind regularly attract attention in the regional auction scene as decorative collectibles and as artisanal testimonies of their era.