"Shepherd Boy with his Flock" (1864) | Lauren De Beul

LAURENT DE BEUL
Belgium, 1821-1872

Shepherd Boy, Dog and Flock in Landscape (1864)

Oil on panel | signed with a certifying statement in the artist's hand verso "Je soussigné, déclare que le tableau Ci-Contre représentant des moutons avec figure est peint par moi Laurent De Beul, Bruxelles, 1864"

Item # 406IKO02P  An utterly relaxing Romantic view of a young shepherd boy playing with his dog while watching over his flock of sheep in a grassy field, he leans back against a mound of grass remaining almost shaded from the bright sun by the shade of some unseen trees. A basket beside him containing his lunch is spilled out on the ground and the two lambs resting beside their mother appear to have almost fallen asleep. The work is unsigned on the front and is instead signed with a self-certification by the artist on the reverse, translating to English as "I, the undersigned, declare that the painting opposite, representing sheep with a figure, was painted by me, Laurent De Beul, Brussels, 1864."

Housed in an old and quite simple burnished giltwood frame, it presents like a window into a different era. A very nice scale for De Beul's work, quite sizeable but still easily placed.
Measurements: 21 3/4" H x 27 3/4" W [frame]; 19" H x 24 1/2" W [panel] Condition Report:
A fine presentation, ready to place. Professionally cleaned and conserved: wood panel in excellent condition with no visible warping or splits, age related craquelure throughout the scene, careful removal of surface grime and old layer of varnish (while portions of the surface remain fugitive and were not disturbed), preliminary dammar varnish, losses inpainted, final dammar varnish layer applied. Under UV examination: spots of touchup, largely within the craquelure, these mostly focused on the grassy areas, around the basket, the underside of the largest sheep and other scattered areas; varnish somewhat obscures full surface examination, inpaint perhaps accounting for 2-3% of total surface. Giltwood frame with losses and gaps in corners.