René Charles Edmond His, French 1877-1960- Cottage by a pond in Auvray Forest, Normandy; oil on canvas, signed 'E. René His' (lower right), 114 x 162.5 cm. ARR. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: René His was celebrated for his realistic depictions of riverine landscapes of the French countryside as well as scenes from his time in Algeria. Avoiding the Impressionist wave that was spreading across Europe during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th Centuries, his training aligned him more closely with Academic art, and he appeared to draw inspiration from the likes of Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) and Henri Biva (1848-1929).His experienced early successes for his larger compositions - in 1898 he won the Prix Brizard of 3000 francs, awarded by the Academie des Beaux-Arts for his painting 'En Aiglard', which also received an Honorable Mention at the Paris Salon - and indeed it is likely that the present work was conceived relatively early on in his career. He would later go on to produce smaller paintings, paying close attention to detail and fully mastering the play of reflections and light on still water. Please refer to department for condition report