Pollard Willow

About the Artwork

Little is known about Boquet's life, and his artistic origins remain obscure. His style and technique suggest that he received formal training, but where and with whom is unclear. An inscription on a painting attributed to Boquet implies that he spent time in Rome, where he would have seen works by 17th-century French artists such as Claude Lorrain. This may explain the gentle, bucolic atmosphere and the warm, golden light in Pollard Willow, characteristics of which recall the paintings of Lorrain and his contemporaries. The severe pruning or pollarding of trees, especially willows, was a common practice before the Industrial Revolution (about 1750–1850). The procedure allowed the tree to produce large numbers of shoots, which were used in basketry, fence construction, and as fodder for farm animals.

Provenance

Georges Martin du Nord at Galerie B. G. Verte, Paris. Sold in 1977 to Noah L. Butkin, Cleveland. Bequeathed to the CMA in 1980.

Exhibition history

Year in Review: 1980. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (June 24-July 19, 1981).

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.

Quick Overview

Artist: Pierre Jean Boquet (French, 1751–1817)
Date: after 1804
Medium: oil on paper, mounted on canvas
Dimensions: Unframed: 29.6 x 26.8 cm (11 5/8 x 10 9/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Credit line: Bequest of Noah L. Butkin
Accession no.: 1980.237

Open-access museum record · AT-00009816