Landscape with a House Behind Large Elm Trees near Bordeaux

Maxime Lalanne was an influential proponent of the charcoal landscape. He made his Salon debut in 1852 with a group of charcoal drawings and continued to exhibit such works for the next thirty years. His subjects often reflected the environs of his native Bordeaux. In fact, this drawing quite possibly shows the grounds of his own home. To highlight certain areas of the composition, Lalanne added white gouache (on the foreground plants) and a gentle dusting of white chalk (mainly on the leafy trees).