Artwork
The Quarry of Monsieur Pascal near Nanterre
The Quarry of Monsieur Pascal near Nanterre is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Jean Charles Cazin. It dates from 1875 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Jean‑Charles Cazin’s oil on canvas, dated around 1875, depicts a bustling quarry near Nanterre owned by Monsieur Pascal.
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- Inscribed:lower right: J.C.CAZIN
About this work
Technique & Style
No further details regarding specific handling, brushwork, surface condition, or stylistic characterization are documented in the available sources.
The Quarry of Monsieur Pascal near Nanterre is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium consistent with Jean-Charles Cazin's mature practice of the mid-1870s. The support measures approximately 71.12 by 91.44 centimeters, a horizontal format suited to the broad expanse of the quarry landscape. The work is classified as a painting and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., following its 2021 bequest.
No further details regarding specific handling, brushwork, surface condition, or stylistic characterization are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Jean-Charles Cazin executed this oil on canvas in 1875. The work's early ownership includes H. Lyon, potentially the art dealer Henry Lyon. It subsequently appeared at a Christie, Manson & Woods auction in London on June 25, 1954, before entering the private collection of Bravington.
The painting was offered again at Christie's in London on June 24, 1988, and later passed through The Fine Art Society in London. In 1992, Ian M. Cumming of Jackson, Wyoming, purchased the piece. Following Cumming's death in 2018, the artwork remained part of his estate until it was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2021.
The painting entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2021 as a bequest from the estate of Ian M. Cumming. Cumming had acquired the work in 1992 from The Fine Art Society in London. Prior to his ownership, the canvas appeared at Christie's in London in 1988 and previously in 1954, when it was sold from the collection of H. Lyon. Between these auctions, it was held in a private collection associated with Bravington.
Context
Jean-Charles Cazin painted The Quarry of Monsieur Pascal near Nanterre in 1875, an oil on canvas work measuring 71.12 cm by 91.44 cm. The painting entered the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., through a bequest in 2021 from the estate of Ian M. Cumming, who acquired it from The Fine Art Society in 1992 after previous sales at Christie, Manson & Woods in 1954 and 1988. Cazin, a French realist painter associated with the Barbizon school, is known for his atmospheric landscapes that often depict industrial and natural sites, reflecting 19th‑century French landscape traditions. The quarry subject situates the work within his exploration of labor and topography, linking it to broader realist concerns about modernizing rural France.
Overview
Jean‑Charles Cazin’s oil on canvas, dated around 1875, depicts a bustling quarry near Nanterre owned by Monsieur Pascal. The composition centers on a group of laborers and draft horses engaged in stone extraction, offering a snapshot of industrial activity in the French countryside during the late nineteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a realistic portrayal of quarry work: a solitary figure surveys massive cut stones while colleagues manipulate the material with horse‑drawn carts and tools. By focusing on the workers’ interaction with the landscape, the painting underscores the relationship between human labor and the natural resources it exploits.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Charles Cazin was a French landscapist, museum curator and ceramicist.
