19th Century Landscape Painting - Nicolas Antoine Taunay

Charming oil on canvas representing a lively landscape with a cottage in a clearing. On the left, a woman in peasant clothing sits in front of the house, a young boy beside her. On the right three men are transporting boards towards the house where there is already a pile, probably to enlarge it. Painting of very good quality, executed in a very assertive and virtuoso style. On the back, on the stretcher, an old inscription in ink: TAUNAY It could be the painter Nicolas Antoine Taunay (1755-1830) or his son Félix Emile Taunay (1795-1881). They are both known for their rural and bucolic paintings in the style of our painting and in particular for having painted numerous scenes of workers and settlers in Brazil where they stayed for many years. They returned to France in the 1820s but the son returned and was director of the Rio de Janeiro academy founded by his father. On the back of the painting, on the canvas there is a prepared stretcher manufacturer's stamp: 'Jules Berville' in Paris. The Berville house is one of the oldest painter's canvas factories and dates back at least to the end of the 18th century. Knowing that the first manufacturers' stamps appeared around 1800 in France, our canvas could very well be from the father who died in 1830. Oil on canvas in very good condition, a small old restoration is visible on the reverse. 19th century period frame.