id: 140343 accession number: 1964.293 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1964.293 updated: 2024-03-26 01:59:07.347000 The Pyrenees, the Peak of the Midi de Bigorre, 1871–1872. Narcisse Diaz de la Peña (French, 1807–1876). Oil on wood panel; unframed: 21.2 x 27 cm (8 3/8 x 10 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Collection 1964.293 title: The Pyrenees, the Peak of the Midi de Bigorre title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1871–1872 creation date earliest: 1871 creation date latest: 1872 current location: creditline: Severance and Greta Millikin Collection copyright: --- culture: France, 19th century technique: oil on wood panel department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture collection: Mod Euro - Painting 1800-1960 type: Painting find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Narcisse Diaz de la Peña (French, 1807–1876) - artist Diaz de la Peña's Spanish parents, who were political refugees, died by the time he was ten years old, and Narcisse was sent to Bellevue to live with a pastor's family. Because of a snake bite, his left leg had to be amputated when he was thirteen. In 1825 he became an apprentice colorist in Arsène Gillet's porcelain factory. During his time there he met Gillet's nephew, Dupré (q.v.), and Louis Cabat (1812-1893), both associated with the group of painters working in Barbizon. In 1827 he was briefly taught by François Souchon (1787-1857) and also copied the works of Correggio (1483-1534) and Prud'hon (q.v.) in the Louvre. His own paintings were shown at the Salon from 1831 until 1859 and included subjects from the Bible, mythology, literature, and the Orient, inspired by Delacroix (q.v.) and Decamps (q.v.), as Diaz himself never traveled that far. From 1835 onward, he often visited Barbizon and the forest of Fontainebleau. Although the influence of Decamps remained, he met artists such as Théodore Rousseau (q.v.), whom he greatly admired, which resulted in many studies of trees and rocks. Apart from concentrating on lush landscapes, Diaz also used his forest scenes as backgrounds for nudes disguised as Venuses or nymphs. Such works answered a reviving taste for compositions with a rococo flavor, and Diaz readily sold his art to many collectors. From the 1840s on he became quite successful and eventually received several awards, among them the Legion of Honor in 1851. He could demand high prices for his works, and various artists began imitating his style. Diaz's financial success enabled him to support some of his friends such as Rousseau and Millet (q.v.). Diaz was one of the most eminent members of the Barbizon school of painters, a group that turned away from academic training to study directly from nature. --- measurements: Unframed: 21.2 x 27 cm (8 3/8 x 10 5/8 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: The Severance and Greta Millikin Collection opening date: 1990-07-05T04:00:00 The Severance and Greta Millikin Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 5-September 2, 1990). title: Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum opening date: 1991-06-07T04:00:00 Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 8, 1991). title: Impressionist France: Visions of Nation from Le Gray to Monet opening date: 2013-10-19T00:00:00 Impressionist France: Visions of Nation from Le Gray to Monet. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (organizer) (October 19, 2013-February 9, 2014); Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO (March 16-July 14, 2014). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * {'description': 'CMA. Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection (1990), 94, no. 214.', 'opening_date': '1990-01-01T00:00:00'} * {'description': 'The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (10/19/2013 - 2/9/2014) and Saint Louis Art Museum, MO (3/16/2014 - 7/6/2014): "Impressionist France: Visions of Nation from Le Gray to Monet"', 'opening_date': '2013-10-19T00:00:00'} --- PROVENANCE R. de la Guerinière, Paris. R. Caby, Paris. Delattre (dealer), Paris, Rue Rossini 1963. Claude Aubry, Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin, Cleveland, 1963. Given to the CMA in 1964. date: footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Argencourt, Louise d', and Roger Diederen. Catalogue of Paintings. Pt. 4. European Paintings of the 19th Century. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1974. page number: Mentioned and reproduced: P. 246-247, Vol. I, no. 88 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1964.293/1964.293_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1964.293/1964.293_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1964.293/1964.293_full.tif