Farmyard 1735 - 1796

Jean-Baptiste-Denis Lempereur created 'Farmyard' with pen and brown ink, heightened with white gouache and watercolor. The overall palette is muted, dominated by earth tones and greys, giving a melancholic feel. The composition centres on the converging lines of the farm buildings which draw the eye to the activity in the yard and the faint line of the horizon visible through the gate. Lempereur’s treatment of light and shadow adds depth, contrasting the dark, thatched textures of the barn with the lighter sky. This play destabilizes traditional landscape painting by focusing less on the picturesque and more on the everyday. Here, the structural elements such as the roof lines and the stacked hay, use a semiotic system to highlight the functional aspects of rural life. Lempereur engages with a vision that emphasizes the material and structural components of its setting, inviting ongoing interpretation.