Maurice Levis

Available for sale from Big Sky Fine Art in the English county of Dorset is this original oil painting by the French artist Maurice Levis dating from around 1920.<br> The painting is presented and supplied in its original ornate frame (which is shown in these photographs).<br> This antique painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display.<br> The painting is signed lower right.<br> <br> Maurice Levis was born in Paris on 11 November 1860. He was competent from an early age and received his formal art training by studying under some of the finest French artists of the day, namely Henri Joseph Harpignies, Jules Lefebvre and Pierre Billet.<br> <br> He was active in the Academy from 1886 and became a member of Les Artistes Francais in 1888. He exhibited his first painting at the Salon at the age of 26. He received several awards from the Academy, including the Medaille d’Or in 1927, a Distinction in 1895 and a third-place medal in 1896. <br> <br> Levis lived in France during the rise of French Impressionism and derived much of his vision from the Impressionist style, as can be seen in his loose brush strokes and choice of palette which create charming and atmospheric works. He became devoted to capturing the beauty of the French countryside, often painting small scale studies of the northern France and Brittany in particular. His landscapes often depicted the lives of the people who lived in them; the villagers of Breton going about their chores, women washing clothes at the river, farmers tending livestock and fishermen setting sail. His scenes remind us of a lifestyle now gone by. In the course of his career Levis travelled throughout France and possibly also into northern Africa. He died in 1940 at the age of 80. <br> <br> © Big Sky Fine Art<br> <br> This original oil on panel painting depicts a scene from the Vallée du Thouet à Thouars in France. The river Thouet is a tributary of the Loire in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire regions of western France. It rises at Secondigny, close to the source of the Sèvre Nanataise and joins the Loire just west of Saumur. The river takes its name from the ancient Greek word for tranquil. In this image we see the river flowing past the town of Thouars. We can see the chateau on the hill within the old town walls. There is a small rowing boat in the middle of the river with a single figure in it. The banks of the river are covered with trees and foliage, the colours of which suggest that this is later summer. In the background there are rolling hills. The palette is one of golden hues and rich deep greens against a pale sky. The overall impression is one of calm and contentment.<br> <br> We provide a professional shipping and delivery service which is free to customers in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. We can also provide other worldwide delivery on any purchase. Please contact us for further information.<br> <br> For UK deliveries prices are inclusive of VAT, we will supply a VAT invoice under the margin scheme for Work of Art as per the HMRC definition. <br> <br> For deliveries outside of the UK you will be liable for any import duties to the country of destination and any local sales/consumer taxes applicable to the delivery address. We will ship the consignment with the appropriate harmonized commodity code and with a comprehensive invoice. The appropriate Common Customs Tariff number is 9701000000 if you need to check before purchasing. All duties and taxes, if any, will be collected by the courier or delivery company and they will charge a modest standard administration charge, including on Duty Free goods, for performing this function on your behalf.<br>