Oil on canvas painting, featuring landscape scene. Signed and attr. Louis Vivin (French, 1861-1936) on lower right corner. 15.75 x 19.5 in (40.0 x 49.5 cm) lower section is indented, and lower left side has chipped paint, back of the canvas has signs of water damage and oil based material is bleeding through from the front (green in color). The subjects of Vivin's paintings were still life, hunting subjects, and the city of Paris. Vivin was self-taught and a representative of naïve painting. He showed great enthusiasm for painting as a child, but his career took him in a completely different direction: he worked as a postal clerk until 1922, pursuing his art only in his spare time. Eventually, he was discovered by the German art critic Wilhelm Uhde (1874–1947), an association which helped him start exhibitions and build a reputation as a serious artist. When he worked in the postal service, his job was an inspector. Once he retired in the year of 1923, Louis Vivin finally took up the full-time part of being an artist. His birthplace was in the city of Hadol, France. He moved to Paris, France in the year of 1889 where he lived with his wife in the district of Montparnasse. The subjects of Vivin's paintings were still life, hunting subjects, and the city of Paris. Vivin was a contemporary of Henri Rousseau, Camille Bombois, André Bauchant, and Séraphine Louis, known collectively as the "Sacred Heart Painters" and as masters of French naïve painting. Vivin's works are known to have a sad and dismal theme to them. He was also known for painting from his memory. Louis Vivin was influenced by the work and details of Jean-Louis-Ernes Meissonier’s paintings. Louis Vivin’s first one-man exhibition was placed at the Galerie des Quatre Chemins, and it was organized by Uhde in 1927. His later work was considered to become less dependent of the melancholy mood, and it focused more on blocks of color and form. PROVENANCE: Southern Ontario Estate

All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms:

By [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

Circle of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, a work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil.

Follower of [Artist Name]: In our opinion, a work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : In our opinion, this work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).

Bears signature : In our opinion, the signature on the artwork may be spurious.
Apocryphal : Of doubtful authenticity.