A Pond in the Forest of Fontainebleau

011046 Leon RICHET [1847-1907]  A Pond in the Forest of Fontainebleau
oil on canvas, 46,5 x 61 cm, signed l.r. "Leon Richet"

Educated in ateliers of Boulanger, Lefébre and Diaz, he made his debut at the Salon of 1869 with paintings, entitled: 'Bouleaux sur les hauteurs de la Plaine blanche’, ‘Forêt de Fontainebleau’ and ‘Mare dans la gorge aux Loups'. Landscape was Richet’s favoured genre. The artist was particularly fond of the forests of Fontainebleau, Normandy and Picardy. In his oeuvre he eagerly turned to the style of painting initiated in Fontainebleau by Barbizon painters. His canvases distinguish the specific light and shade effect – extensively bright in the part of the sky. Interestingly, the artist often employed light reflection on water surface, a motif constantly returning in his painting. Richet’s artwork can be seen in museums in Leeds, Nice, Montreal, and Reims.