Essence of Spring, Chevreuse Valley

Jean Baptiste Armand Guillaumin

ca. 1885

Oil on canvas

Seattle Art Museum

Guillaumin did not achieve the renown of his more famous contemporaries, but he was highly respected by fellow artists, especially Van Gogh and Cézanne, who would sometimes join him to paint together. Until he won the French lottery in 1891, Guillaumin worked for the railroad and often painted working class scenes as well as sweeping views of the countryside. This landscape is dominated by bands of saturated color; the blooming cherry trees in the distance are the only clue that spring is in the air. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Renshaw Object number 67.146