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THÉOBALD MICHAU , TOURNAI, 1676 - ANTWERP, 1765 Peasants returning from harvest Oil on panel 37 x 46 cm On a beautiful sunny afternoon a couple of peasants, accompanied by their children, are returning home with their cut sheaves under their arms. The woman is carrying a bundle on her head, a third figure follows them carrying a pitchfork. This family occupies the centre of a landscape teeming with activity. On the left, a cowherd is leading his herd across a pond to the stable in the background. On the right, a pig farmer watches over his pigs. Behind him, a vast opening opens up showing us the road used by the harvesters, where a cart and two horsemen are riding. In the background, a hamlet nestled on the edge of a wood. The countryside depicted by the artist is picturesque, almost allegorical, where the peasant woman is posing as a rural caryatid, symbolising the abundance of the harvest. The palette of warm colours, punctuated by silhouettes in brighter shades, contributes to this serene atmosphere. The light skilfully structures the different spaces by alternating sunny and shady planes. The brightly lit sky is strewn with subtly coloured clouds betraying the late hour. Behind the curtain of trees the orange sun can be seen close to the horizon. Théobald Michau (1676-1765) was a Flemish genre painter. After training in Brussels with the landscape painter, Lucas Achtschellinck, he moved to Antwerp in 1710 where he was very active. He was elected to the Academy of Saint Luke. A painter of everyday life, Michau specialised in landscape painting and scenes of village life with a concern for anecdotal details that make his compositions familiar. These Peasants Returning from Harvest take us into this pastoral world where the memory of Jan Breughel but also David Teniers testifies to the Flemish tradition in which Michau is involved. Provenance: Christie's 2006. Signatur: Signed lower right