This stunning oil on canvas, titled Au Pâturage, ( At Pasture) is by french painter Claude Sebatien Hugard de la Tour, who was born in Cluses in 1816 and died in 1885. He was a student of Diday, a romantic landscape painter of the 19th century. Claude Sebatien became known for his landscapes and exhibited at several Salon de Paris in the 1840's.
This particular painting is an exquisite evocation of a pastural landscape with pastures in the distance and water cascading from a small brook in the foreground.
Very reminiscent of works by Corot and the Barbizon school, with its shimmering, silver trees and warm natural light.
In a fantastic and substantial gilt,  period frame. Small fold in the canvas to lower right quadrant, not visible unless under sharp direct light. (please see photo.)
Provenance from an important Ontario collection.
Very old gallery label attached to the back and under plastic sleeve, describing the artist in both French and English.

19" wide by 21.5" high