Landscape with Small Pond

A devotee of watercolor, Henri-Joseph Harpignies played a major role in reviving that medium in France. He used watercolor throughout his prolific career, predominantly to record motifs he encountered directly, as in Landscape with Small Pond. This charming work, most likely from a sketchbook, surely resulted from a view that captivated Harpignies while he was walking in the countryside. Even on this intimate scale, his skill is evident in the subtle nuances of color and the rendering of light and atmosphere.