This evocative mid-19th-century oil painting by Robert T Stuart (XIX) depicts a picturesque river landscape illuminated by a setting sun.A silhouetted wood stands before a majestic glow as the placid river beams. Distant buildings are rendered with a few deft marks and careful observation. It’s a tranquil image capturing nature at her most enchanting.Little is known about Robert T Stuart aside from numerous auction records in the US, France and UK. It’s conceivably either an American or British name, yet most of his works are French in style. Indeed, this piece utilises a canvas purchased in France and also features a Parisian storage label. Ancestry records draw a blank, so, all things considered, it’s likely to be a pseudonym.Stuart’s works are reminiscent of those by the Barbizon School of painters, who were the first to truly embrace painting ‘en plein air’. At the start of the 19th century, the concept of painting outside would seem quite ludicrous as generally, artist...