Figures by a Lake

An atmospheric view of a French pastoral scene infused with subtle light and dark tones on a warm summer’s day. Fragments of white cloud dot the summer sky above the landscape in which two women rest at the edge of the still lake that reflects the surrounding wooded landscape. Painted in 1891, during the period when Charles Conder lived and worked in France, this painting clearly shows the influence of the ‘plein air’ style. This approach involved the process of painting outside directly from nature that was embraced by French Impressionist painters from the 1830s, most notably Claude Monet. His influence is especially evident in Conder’s delicate handling of colour in this work. Conder visited and lived in Paris from 1890, following several years studying painting in Australia. While living in France he became familiar with the countryside along the banks of the river Seine below Paris, especially the area around Mantes. It is likely that this painting was made from a spot in this area just outside Paris.