ALEXANDRE SÉGÉ (FRENCH, 1818-1885)

Exhibited in the Salon of 1879, the present painting is an example of the type of idealizing landscape that became increasingly popular toward the second half of the 19th century. As the contemporary landscape became increasingly marked by deforestation, the rise of factories and a move away from agrarian life, late nineteenth century taste shifted toward images of simplicity and wholesomeness as reassurance against the rapidly accelerating pace of modernity. Ségé's tranquil vista, with the warm summer sun shining down on the unspoiled fields, and wildflowers in full bloom in the foreground, appeals to exactly this sensibility. The single figure of a peasant, dwarfed by the enormity of the landscape and the vast sky, creates a sense of quiet serenity, and must have allowed visitors to that year’s Salon to harken back to simpler times.
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