STONE PINES, NEAR CANNES, FRANCE, C.1870s 

Nathaniel Hone the Younger painted “Stone Pines, near Cannes, France” around the 1870s with oil on canvas. It depicts a shepherd guiding sheep through a landscape marked by umbrella pines. The latter half of the 19th century witnessed a surge in landscape painting, driven by the growth of tourism and the desire for images reflecting national identity. Hone, though Irish, captured a scene typical of the French Riviera, an area rapidly transforming into a resort destination for the European elite. The painting uses subdued colors and a naturalistic style, aligning it with the Barbizon school's interest in plein air painting. This aesthetic stands in contrast to the grand historical paintings favoured by state-supported academies, suggesting a shift towards more personal and less overtly political art. Understanding this piece requires us to look at travel guides, social histories of tourism, and the records of art academies to gain a sense of the changing cultural landscape and the artist's place within it.