Herrmann-leon (1838-1908) Shepherd Dog And His Flock Hst

HERRMANN-LEON Charles (1838-1908) Shepherd dog and his flock.
Oil on canvas signed lower left.
Framed 57 x 49cm - On view: 39 x 31
Old gilded wooden frame, label Paint skip at the bottom of the work but without impact on the quality of the work Charles Herrmann-Léon was a student of Eugène Fromentin and Philippe Rousseau.
An animal painter inspired by both the hunting and pastoral genres; it is this latter influence that transcends here a work drawing its inspiration from a rustic daily life as much as from the Bucolics, to the point of taking on the seeds of a biblical parable. In a lively, sensitive, poetic, slightly bold and already modern touch, although a 19th century painter, far from hyperrealism, Hermann-Léon ensures that his pastoral is erected as a parable: the shepherd sketched in the distance leading his flock of souls, his faithful companion closes the rank ensuring that no lost sheep escapes. Although allegorical and "moral", the feeling of aesthetic, philosophical joy that emanates from this painting prevails over the temptation of the precept. Charles Herrmann-Léon guides us towards a certain idea of happiness, at once humble, accessible, and a source of elevation.