'Les Alpilles Range in Provence' by Auguste Chabaud (1951)

'Les Alpilles Range in Provence', oil on panel, by Auguste Chabaud (1951). This artwork depicts the chain of the 'Little Alps', which is a small range of low mountains in Provence, France about 20 kilometres south of Avignon. Both Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) and Yves Brayer (1907-1990) also famously depicted Les Alpilles. The range is about 25 km long by about 8 to 10 km wide, running in an east–west direction between the Rhône and Durance rivers. The landscape of the Alpilles is one of arid limestone peaks separated by dry valleys, always under the glorious blue skies of Provence. The lower slopes are planted with olive and almond tress as well as Kermes oaks and pines. Much of the range is bare rock or stony ground covered with maquis, a scrubland plant community. This particular depiction is typical of the pathways and roads around the town of Eyegalieres. Chabaud's landscapes are often resolved into simple shapes created from a few suggestive elements in a reduced chromatic scheme, sometimes dominated by a gleaming Prussian blue. The beauty of this piece is found in its simplicity. Chabaud, the artist, was considered a bit of an outsider but now he retains a considerable stature in the art world. From a financial standpoint, several of his paintings have sold for greater than $100,000 USD at auction. This painting is in good overall condition and is newly framed with a French-style linen slip. It has recently been reconditioned and cleaned by an art restoration professional. Photos of the piece's reverse side's show an attached sheet, barely legible, except for its year of creation. The stamp of the authenticating authority (Atelier Chabaud), appears on that sheet dated 1951, just a few years before the artist's death. This authority certifies and often stamps unsigned works of the artist once they've catalogued the piece (although this artwork is signed in the lower right hand). Please enjoy the many photos accompanying the listing. Upon request, a video can be provided.

About the Artist: Auguste Chabaud (1882-1955) studied at the Lycée and then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Avignon, where his family had settled in 1890. In 1899, Chabaud went to Paris where he attended the Académie Julian. As his parents could no longer support him, he enlisted in the merchant navy and travelled to the West coast of Africa. In 1902, he was in the military in Tunisia and he brought back many sketches of the inhabitants from his stint there, as well as bordello interiors and bars crowded with military men, sailors and women. Upon his return to France, he moved again to Paris' Montmartre and Montparnasse neighbourhoods. 

While in Paris, Chabaud painted typical scenes of the neighbourhoods and boulevards, café-concerts, parties and of the circus and cabaret world. He used vibrant, contrasting colours, which brought him closer to Expressionism. From 1906, Chabaud exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Indépendants, and regularly showed at the Salon d'Au­tomne, of which he was a member, and the Salon des Tuile­ries. Upon his return to Provence around 1914, he painted landscapes of the hillsides as well as the people in the countryside in a softened chromatic range with nuanced blacks, tinted whites, and deep blues. After the war, he settled permanently in his hometown, Graveson, marrying the daughter of a neighbouring farmer in 1921 with whom he had seven children. 

Important retrospectives of his work include: 1952 Paris; 1956 Marseille Musée Cantini; 1986 Orléans, Musée des Beaux-Arts; 1999 Troyes, Musée des Beaux-Arts; and 2003, Paris. (Source: Benezit)

Dimensions with frame:

H 43.5 cm / 17.1"

W 57 cm / 22.4"

Dimensions without frame:

H 31 cm / 12.2"

W 44.5 cm / 17.5"