Alfred Roll (1846-1919), Surroundings Of

For any information on this work, directly contact Bertrand DELBOS in 06 20 26 92 55

Artist: Alfred Roll (1846-1919)
Title: Surroundings Of Baccarat (1869)
Technique and support: Oil on canvas
Special features of the painting: Painting signed lower right by the artist
Dimensions: 90 x 140 cm (116 x 167 cm with the frame, stuccoed wood with flowers decor)
Condition: Good, the frame presents some small shocks
Provenance: Private collection

Expert's comment: Alfred ROLL, nicknamed "The Zola of Painting", embodies this third way between Academism and Impressionism: Naturalism. "The surroundings of Baccarat" is a work made in 1869 in the studio of Rixens after a trip of the artist in the Vosges and was originally titled "A stream in a valley" (Effects fall) (1). The painting was executed for the Troyon contest and exhibited at the Salon of 1870 (first participation of the artist in a salon). Not only was the criticism good: "It is the son of Daubigny! "(1), but it is this painting that marks Alfred Roll's desire to become a professional artist. It clearly shows the influence of great realists like Courbet or Harpignies. The latter gave him some lessons and encouraged him to enroll in the fine arts. With this work, Alfred ROLL immerses us in a nature conducive to meditation in the image of this shepherd contemplating a small stream seeming to overflow the table. In an impressive format, the work is beautifully framed. It is considered as the first significant work of a talented artist. Moreover, there are very few works of this type existing on the market, the landscapes being little represented in the corpus of the artist. It is indeed easier to find portraits, scenes of genres or nudes that the artist then made in large quantities.

(1) J VALMAY-BAYSSE, The painters of Today: Alfred ROLL his life - his work, page 6 (I have at your disposal a photo of this page)