Conrad Wise CHAPMAN (1842-1910) - Lot 160

Conrad Wise CHAPMAN (1842-1910) The skaters' circle, Bois de Boulogne Oil on parquet panel. Signed and dated lower left 1877. Titled on the back of the panel (minor restorations). 34.5 x 65 cm An American painter from Washington, Conrad Wise Chapman is best known for his views of Mexico City and his works on the American Civil War. Privately commissioned into the 3rd Kentucky Company in 1861, he produced sketches in praise of the Confederate troops. Chapman depicted the bombardment of the city's fortifications. Finally, he joined a group of former Confederates in Mexico, where he produced numerous views of the country and its people. Before enlisting in the Confederate army, Conrad Wise Chapman traveled in Europe. This gave him the opportunity to depict scenes of daily life, such as this skating scene in the Bois de Boulogne. The wintry atmosphere is captured in a multitude of small scenes. On the right, an elegant woman in a purple dress has her skate laces tied by a man kneeling in the snow. His views, reminiscent of Bruegel's skating scenes, executed with meticulous attention to detail, testify to his ability to capture the subtleties of light on snow and the movement of skaters.