Henri Biva (1848-1928) - Pond in the mist, "Salon de Paris" 1910

French School

Dimensions : H. 151 x W. 111 cm (with frame: H. x W. cm)

Henri Biva  was born in Paris in 1848. He began his career at the age of 25, as a student at the French Academy. His teachers were William Bouguereau, Benjamin Constant and Jules Lefebvre.

Biva is an academic painter of landscapes, still lifes, and flowers. The technique with which he excels is oil on canvas, but he also practices watercolor and pastel. At the 1886 Blanc et Noir exhibition, he presented "Une rue de Ville-d'Avray, la nuit" and "Roses of Nice and wallflowers". He participated in the Salon des Artistes Français many times. Biva reached an important notoriety at the turn of the century and became a respected teacher.

Exceptional by its size and even more by its quality, THIS PAINTING IS ONE OF THE ARTIST'S KNOWN MASTERPIECES.  IT IS THE OIL ON CANVAS THAT BIVA PRESENTED IN PARIS AT THE 1910 SALON UNDER THE NUMBER 206. Henri Biva displays all his talent as an academic and naturalist painter. The salons were, let's not forget, competitions, and the works presented were of an exceptional level: the young artists played their careers there. For those who were already well known, the salons were an opportunity to further develop their reputation and they exhibited their work "outside the competition", as is the case with this painting. One should note the perfect balance of the composition, the particular care given to the treatment of the vegetation and its reflections on the water of the pond, the remarkable ability of the artist to represent the constant and perceptible variations of light. This work is in absolutely perfect condition. It has been cleaned and simply varnished to regain its original brilliance. There is no accident and the painting is still on its original canvas. The frame is of great quality, it is also original and perfectly restored.

Museums:

Paris, Musée d’Orsay

Bayeux, Musée Baron Gérard

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