Auguste Anastasi (1820 - 1889), View Of Haarlem, The Banks Of The River Spaarne, C. 1855-1860

Auguste Anastasi (1820 – 1889)
View of Haarlem, the banks of the river Spaarne, c. 1855-1860
Graphite on paper
180 x 297 mm
Annotated by the artist, lower left "Harlem"
Stamp of the 1873 studio sale, lower left (L. 60)

Good condition (a slight halo at the top center)

Framed, under glass
Dimensions with the frame: 31 x 40 cm

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Disciple of Eugène Delacroix, Camille Corot and Paul Delaroche, the landscape painter Auguste Anastasi was a forerunner of the renewed interest in Northern landscapes in the 19th century and in the particular charm of the canals that flow across Holland.

In 1854, Camille Corot had made a grand tour of the country with the painter Constant Dutilleux, passing through Dordrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. It was certainly on the advice of his master and friend that Auguste Anastasi went to visit these landscapes.

This sheet can be dated from the years 1855-1860, when the painter presented his views of Holland at the Salon. After 1860, Anastasi discovered Italy and devoted himself almost entirely to it. In 1870, the artist lost his sight and stopped creating.

An irresistible detail, the reworking of the figure of the walker, sketched at the top right of the sheet, is a constantly renewed pleasure for those who appreciate the freedom and the philosophy of drawing.