Lot 134: Hippolyte Lecomte (French, 1781-1857)

A View along the Italian Coastline
signed with initials and dated 'H. L 1828' (lower left)
oil on canvas
16 1/2 x 13 in. (41.9 x 33 cm.)
Painted in 1828

with Mark Brady & Co., New York.
Acquired from the above by the late John. R. Gaines.

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF JOHN R. GAINES

A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault and Antoine-Pierre Mongin, Lecomte is best known as a history painter in the troubadour tradition. He was of the same generation of the great plein air painters, Bidauld, Bertin, Dunouy and Rémond all of whom he collaborated with on a major cycle of historical landscape at The Chateau of Fontainebleau. He traveled often to Italy and submitted works to the Paris Salon. Although the site depicted in this sketch has not been precisely located, it has been traditionally thought to represent a view through a small church along the Amalfi coastline.