Collection du peintre André Julien Prévost, France, vers 1873

Probablement sa vente, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, le 24 mai 1887

Probablement collection de Mme Marguerite Harth (1875-1951), épouse d’Alfred Pacquement (1872-1948), Paris 

Par descendance à sa fille Germaine Pacquement, épouse de Robert Trocmé (1887-1970), Paris, 1955 (selon une étiquette au dos) 

Vente Paris, Audap & Mirabaud, 17 juin 2015, lot 47 

Acquis lors de cette vente par l'actuel propriétaire

Collection Louis Grandchamp des Raux

Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1850-1950 Tableaux de collections parisiennes, avril-mai 1955, n°30 (Titré Sous-bois,Ville d’Avray, selon une étiquette au dos)

A. Robaut, L'œuvre de Corot : catalogue raisonné et illustré, Tome II, Paris, H. Floury, 1905, p. 202, n° 569, reproduit p. 203 (croquis). 

La Gazette Drouot, n° 23, 12 juin 2015, reproduit p. 85

The painting, dating from the years 1840-1845, shows a wooded landscape bathed in soft light. The sunlight shines through the leaves, projecting the shadows of the trunks of the slender trees on the ground. Jean-Baptiste Corot paints from nature with a vibrant brushstroke that brings life to the vegetation and where the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves seems to reach us. 

There are few clues to help us identify the location depicted. At its 1955 exhibition, the painting was titled Sous-bois à Ville-d’Avray, but when it came up for sale in 2015, Normandy was also suggested, but without further detail. This theory can be supported by comparing other works by Corot painted near Honfleur. One of them, La Côte de Grâce, près de Honfleur (1), represents a tree-lined path near a clifftop. The slender trees, like the light, seem to connect the two works. Another painting, Calvaire à Honfleur (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art), also features this same sandy path beneath the trees, as well as a similar chromatic range. Our painting is a precious testament to the artist's intimate connection with nature, which he captured in all its harshness and raw light. Corot excelled at giving it a distinct texture, using his brush to capture the physical sensations of experiencing nature and thus managing to breathe a unique power into his landscapes. 

1.     Anonymous sale; Christie’s New York, 25 May 1984, n° 52