Antoine Ponthus-Cinier (1812-1885) - Ruined fort on the italian coast

Antoine-Claude PONTHUS-CINIER
(Lyon, 1812 - Lyon, 1885)

Ruined fort on the Italian coast

Oil on paper mounted on canvas
Signed lower left
22x30cm

Ponthus-Cinier belongs to what could be defined as the third (and so to speak last) generation of neoclassical or historical landscape painters, born in the years 1810/1820, such as Félix Lanoüe, Achille Bénouville, Paul Flandrin, Eugène Ferdinand Buttura or even Alfred de Curzon. More particularly, he is considered as the main and most popular representative of the landscape painters of the Lyon school around the middle of the 19th century.

Of a generous, honest personality, and pleasant company, Ponthus-Cinier came from a family of merchants on his mother's side and magistrates on his father's side; intended for trade by his parents, he preferred the artistic path, and after enrolling at the School of Fine Arts in Lyon in 1829, and training in Paris with Paul Delaroche, he exhibited his first works at the Salon de Lyon in 1839 , before participating in the one in Paris in 1841.

That same year, he received the second Rome prize for historical landscape (won by Buttura in 1837, and Bénouville in 1845), beaten by Versailles Lanoüe. To perfect his skills, Ponthus-Cinier then decided to go to Italy, alone and at his own expense, for a single stay between 1842 and 1844; he discovered the Ligurian coast, Tuscany, Naples, of course Rome and its surroundings, and executed a considerable number of studies (painted sketches or pen sketches) which served him to compose views of Italy throughout his career.

The main qualities of Ponthus-Cinier probably reside in “the art of lighting a canvas” as A. Jouve wrote in the 19th century, and in his sense of perspective, which is sometimes extraordinary; on the other hand, it seems, most of the time, a little less brilliant in the figures and in the transcription of the details.

Although the place could not be precisely located, Italy is undeniable in this composition. The maritime fort overlooking the clear waters of the Mediterranean is a favorite subject of the painter who places a few sailboats on the waves, animating this small oil on paper with their white sails. To give a scale, two Italians in red hats take their places near the building.

In the post-death sale of the artist, several works of this format are sold, titled Fort by the sea (Italy). Is our work one of these?