Dos à la mer

This 19th-century oil painting on wood panel is from the atelier of Normandy painter Emile Tremblay (1855-1935). The piece is monogrammed in the lower right corner and features the atelier's stamp on the reverse.

This summer beach scene offers a perspective as if standing in front of the ocean, looking back up the beach and into the landscape. The painting has an unfinished atelier effect. It is unclear if the flowing water in the foreground is the tide pulling out, the emptying of a dam, or something else. The landscape features country houses in the background against rolling hills, reminiscent of the beaches of Normandy.

Emile Tremblay is an artist with no available biography online. However, through extensive research of old archives and letters, we have uncovered some context about his closest associates. Emile had a brother, Louis Tremblay, who was a published poet, author, and painter. Emile was also a dear friend of the famous Swedish artist, art critic, and museum manager Richard Bergh (1858-1919), to whom he inscribed a painting with the dedication, "To my brother Bergh." The remainder of what we know about Emile Tremblay comes solely from his exquisite atelier works.

• Overall Size: 8.6" x 14.1" / 22cm x 36.5cm.
  
• Country: France.
  
• Provenance: Atelier Tremblay (Normandy). 
• Signed: Monogrammed and bearing the studio's stamp on the back. 
• Date: Late 19th century or Early 20th century.
• Materials: Oil on wood panel. 
• Texture: The surface of the piece is smooth to the touch. 
• Condition: The condition of the painting is very good for its age with no noteworthy damage.
  
• Shipping: This painting includes free shipping. An additional fee is applied for Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.