In the countryside 1910

Ludovic Alleaume’s “In the Countryside” appears to be made with oils, though the date is unknown. It’s a scene packed with detail, made of tiny brushstrokes, each laying down a slightly different tone. I like how the dresses echo the landscape - the woman on the right’s plaid dress is like a patchwork field, and the other’s ditsy print dissolves into the flowers. The red parasol is a total mood: the apex of leisure, but also a way of keeping the sun off your face so you can get on with your novel. Alleaume’s chosen a high vantage point, so we look down the hill and out to the roofs of the village. It gives the painting a cozy, immersive vibe. The artist has this amazing skill of description - the way that each blade of grass, and each tiny flower has been individually rendered. There’s something very Edwardian about this, a bit like early Vuillard in its domestic cosiness. But also, the endless detail is kind of like looking at a very fancy bit of needlepoint. This is a world you could just fall into, and happily stay a while.