Landscape at Saint-André, Near Marseillesc. 1865 · Study 1980.265

Context from the museum

This view of a rocky landscape along the Mediterranean coast of southern France reflects the naturalist ambition of capturing exact details and atmospheric effects observed directly from life. Clear, intense light floods over the stony cliffs and the sparse greenery baked in the heat of sun. The artist, l Guigou, studied art in Marseilles and devoted most of his career to painting views of his native Provence. In 1855 he began traveling back and forth between Marseilles and Paris, where he became familiar with the paintings of Gustave Courbet and died of a stroke at age 37.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Guigou was once the drawing master for the children of Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Landscape at Saint-André, Near Marseilles is 58.4 cm wide and 38.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 23.0 × 15.2 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.51:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.23 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 19.5% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 120.8 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Landscape at Saint-André, Near Marseilles in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on wood panel, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 58.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?