Emile Van Marcke, White Heifer, c. 1870, O/C.

Van Marcke, Emile (Flemish/ French, 1827-1890). "White Heifer/ White Cow." This young white "maiden" stands calm and confident in a pool at the edge of a lush woods. An extensive landscape adds depth to the upper left background. Circa 1870. Oil on canvas. Signed l.r. 10 1/4" x 14 1/4". With elaborate gilt frame: 22" x 25 3/4" Condition: Craquelure throughout consistent with age.Provenance: A distinguished private collector in Bethesda, MD since 1987.Born to an old Flemish family of painters in in Sèvres, France, Van Marcke spent much of his early career decorating porcelain at the well-known factory there, apprenticed to the well known animalier, Contstant Troyon. After the death of the latter in 1865, he came to be widely regarded as the leading animal painter in Europe, probably due in part to the patronage of Emperor Napoleon III, who invited him to paint at the imperial farm in Compiègne. This gave him the opportunity to do plein air studies of cattle in their natural settings and poses, a subject on which he made his reputation. He gained significant Salon exposure and awards in the 1860s and 70s, winning first prize with three entries at the International Exposition of 1878, he thus acquired a considerable following among British and American collectors. Towards the end of the century nearly every important American collector boasted at least one of his canvases, among them: William Astor, August Belmont, Henry Gibson, A.T. Stewart, William Walters and more. Possibly the greatest of them all, W. H. Vanderbilt, had no less than three, including "La Forêt," which features the same individual animal in the present work, and one titled "The White Cow," which could even be this one.* (For more information see vertical file on Van Marcke at the Library of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., that includes a photo of "La Foret."*Edward Strahan's Art Treasures in America v. II.,p.14. "Catalogue of Mr. W. H. Vanderbilt's Collection".