Study of Trees

Stanisław Filibert Fleury

Oil on paperboard

National Museum in Warsaw

A sun-dappled cluster of slender birches and poplars rises against a soft, hazy sky, their autumn foliage glowing in warm ochres and golds against cooler green shadows. Fleury's loose, confident brushwork captures the texture of bark and leaf alike, giving the small study an immediacy that feels plein-air and personal rather than formally composed. As a Polish academic painter known for his landscapes and studies of nature, Fleury used such sketches to hone his observation of light filtering through foliage. This intimate, earthy scene would bring a quiet, pastoral warmth to any wall, evoking a peaceful walk through a autumn grove.