Galerie Dreyfus
47
-
CHARLES-FRANÇOIS GRENIER DE LACROIX,
KNOWN AS LACROIX DE MAR…
See original version (French)
47
-
CHARLES-FRANÇOIS GRENIER DE LACROIX,
KNOWN AS LACROIX DE MAR…
See original version (French)
Estimate €30,000 - €38,000
Voluntary lot
Description
CHARLES-FRANÇOIS
GRENIER DE LACROIX,
KNOWN AS LACROIX DE MARSEILLE
(MARSEILLE, 1700 – BERLIN, 1782)
Harbour at Sunset
1776
Oil on canvas
31.7 x 43.2 cm
Provenance
Private collection
The silhouettes of the figures moving
along the rocky bank in the foreground are set against the light. Taking advantage of the last rays of the setting sun
on the horizon, a few fishermen are reeling in their lines, whilst a woman standing nearby points to
a distant spot for her companion. Beside them, a dog, in turn, casts its silhouette against
this rocky outcrop. Further to the left, three seated men wearing turbans suggest that the
scene could be set on a coastline of the Ottoman Empire. Behind them, a fortified tower
marks the entrance to a harbour. Opposite, a ship lies at anchor offshore. The sky is ablaze with
the orange hues of the setting sun. Whilst Lacroix of Marseille excels at rendering
both twilight and dawn, these subjects are nonetheless picturesque. His seascapes,
imbued with a certain romanticism, evoke the anecdotal quality of scenes captured on the spot,
in which, here, a touch of exoticism is interwoven. He likes to combine the grandeur of the landscape with the deeds and
gestures of fishermen or sailors. His landscapes lend themselves to daydreaming as one observes the scenery
and the people who inhabit it.
Lacroix de Marseille (1700–82) was a French landscape painter who settled in Rome from 1750 to
1763, where he discovered both classical antiquity and the landscape painting tradition inherited from the previous century. Indeed,
Lorrain and Poussin pioneered this genre, which abounds with ancient architecture,
whether depicted as it was or reimagined. However, in Lacroix de Marseille’s work, there are no majestic harbours with
rigorous perspectives, but rather a predilection for the picturesque and for a wilder
side of nature. He developed a style influenced by Claude-Joseph Vernet, whom he met during his
stay in Rome in 1751, and from whom he learnt to paint seascapes. Vernet, who had
just received a commission from the king for his famous series *Ports of France*, nevertheless
sought accuracy, whilst Lacroix preferred a more poetic vision. In his enchanted
vision of the world, the figures move with natural ease. His paintings, highly prized by art lovers of the
18th century and which he produced in abundance, varying the effects – whether nocturnal or morning scenes, calm or
stormy – can now be found in the finest private and public collections.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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