Artwork
Landscape at Saint-Jeannet, Provence
Landscape at Saint-Jeannet, Provence is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Félix Vallotton. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Félix Vallotton’s 1922 oil painting titled Landscape at Saint‑Jeannet, Provence depicts a wintery countryside scene. The work is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a solitary shepherd who watches over a small flock of sheep scattered across a snow‑covered field. A modest house clings to a hillside, while leafless trees and a distant rocky outcrop frame the quiet landscape, suggesting a moment of stillness and vigilance in a harsh season.
Technique & Style
Vallotton employs a restrained palette of soft, muted hues that convey the chill of winter. The handling of light and shadow is subtle, creating a gentle sense of depth without dramatic contrast. The figures and architecture are rendered with a calm, observational precision, emphasizing atmosphere over detail.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1920s, the painting entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings at an unspecified later date. It remains a representative example of Vallotton’s later work, when he turned his attention to rural French scenery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Félix Édouard Vallotton (French: ; December 28, 1865 – December 29, 1925) was a Swiss and French painter and printmaker associated with the group of artists known as Les Nabis.
