Barbizon / Charles-francois Ceramano (1829-1909) / The Sheepfold / Oil On Canvas

Charles-François Ceramano (1829-1909) – "Return to the Sheepfold in Barbizon"

Oil on canvas
61 x 73 without frame
68 x 81 with frame
Signed lower right

This painting by Charles-François Ceramano perfectly illustrates the spirit of the Barbizon school. A disciple of Emmanuel Noterman and influenced by Constant Troyon and Charles Jacque, Ceramano is part of the tradition of 19th-century animal and landscape painters. The scene depicts a shepherdess leading her flock back to shelter, accompanied by an attentive sheepdog. Framed by the stone walls of a ruined sheepfold, the image opens onto a peaceful landscape bathed in diffuse light. The artist accurately captures the texture of the sheep's wool, the roughness of the stone and the softness of the sky, in a balanced and lively composition. With its realism and serene atmosphere, this work illustrates the sensitivity of Barbizon artists, attached to the sincere representation of rural life.

On its original canvas and frame.
Ink stamp of the canvas supplier:
DUBUS 60, Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris Fine colors, canvases for painting Cleaning, restoration of paintings
Dubus was a Parisian supplier of materials for artists, active at least in the 1880s. He sold fine canvases and colors and offered restoration services. Painters such as Van Gogh used his supports.

Charles-Ferdinand Ceramano, real name Charles-Ferdinand Semain, was born on May 31, 1831 in Tielt, West Flanders, Belgium. Son of Philippe Semain, a decorator, and Anna Gheysens, a seamstress, he was the eldest of nine children. In 1856, he lived at 56 rue des Pierres in Brussels. Two years later, on 21 June 1858, he married Clémentine George, a seamstress from Beauvais. The couple led an itinerant life, frequently changing addresses. On 19 March 1870, they were living at 49 rue Capouillet in Saint-Gilles, a commune of Brussels. In the autumn of 1872, Ceramano moved to Barbizon, France, to the studio of Narcisse Diaz de la Peña. It was at this time that he adopted the pseudonym "Ceramano". He thus joined other Belgian painters such as Gustave de Jonghe and Camille Van Camp, who also frequented Barbizon. His artistic career was marked by a prolific production of landscapes and animal scenes, characteristic of the Barbizon School. His works are exhibited in various museums, including the Toulon Art Museum, the Tournai Museum of Fine Arts and the Lausanne Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts. After a long separation, his wife Clémentine died on October 1, 1905 in Paris. On June 9, 1906, Ceramano, then aged 75, married Jeanne Rosalie Van Eeckhout, his partner for over thirty years. He continued to paint and teach, notably welcoming the young painter Henri Pontoy. Charles-Ferdinand Ceramano died on April 22, 1909 in Barbizon. His second wife died on February 26, 1913 in Nice and was buried next to him in Barbizon.