With Alan Jacobs Gallery, London 1973;
From whom acquired by the family of the present owners.

London, Alan Jacobs Gallery, Winter 1973.

The catalogue illustration is rather pale compared to the original, which is a little richer. The canvas has been relined and is stable. The painting is in excellent condition overall with a beautifully preserved paint surface. There is a small restored tear in the upper centre, some light strengthening in the extreme upper reaches of the sky, and a few scattered minor retouchings to the rest of the sky. The landscape and staffage have been left almost entirely untouched. This painting requires no restoration and is ready to hang.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jean Pillement was probably one of the most travelled artists of the eighteenth century, for his travels took him, often for lengthy periods, to Spain, Portugal, England, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Poland. As such he was enormously influential in disseminating the Rococo style, not only with his landscapes such as this, but also for his designs in a variety of media, including flower paintings, arabesques and chinoiseries, which were highly influential in the manufacture of porcelain, furniture, textiles and tapestries🍬. He could number three kings, those of Pꦅoland, Portugal and England, and a Queen, Marie-Antoinette of France, among his patrons and admirers.

The present work was painted in 1790, the year after Pillement's return to France after his second sojourn on the Iberian peninsula, a period in which he produced much of his best work. The troubles engendered by the French Revolution that same year led him to forsake Paris and his native Lyon for a mas (farmhouse) near the small town of Pézenas in the Hé♐rault region, where he remained for the next ten years. The spectacular local landscape, including the mountains and the gorges and cascades along the Hérault river influenced this and many other paintings from this period.