In August, 1884, the American artist Charles Sprague Pearce purchased a farm in Auvers-sur-Oise, a town some twenty miles northwest of Paris on the banks of the Oise river. While many other artists have worked in the area, including Daubigny, Corot, Cezanne, Daumier, and Pissaro (in nearby Pontoise), this relocation more closely aligned Pearce with his French naturalist contemporaries. This can be seen in the careful study of these two shepherds and the yellow grasses of the field, all rendered in a harmonious and soft palette that is immediately recognisable as Pearce’s.
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 82.6 x 95.9 cm]