'Winter Scene in Provence' by Auguste Chabaud (circa 1910)

'Winter Scene in Provence', oil on panel, by Auguste Chabaud (circa 1910). This artwork depicts the typical pathways and roads around the Alpilles Mountains of Provence, very likely near 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 (in this case the sky is more subdued). 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. Photos of the piece's reverse side's writings are included with the listing. Although some of it is illegible, essentially one portion is a dedication to whomever he gifted / sold the painting, citing the memory of that person's father. In addition, the stamp of the authenticating authority (Atelier Chabaud), appears on the reverse assigning the artwork a registration catalogue number, documenting its dimensions and dated 1956, one year after the artist's death. This authority certifies and stamps unsigned works of the artist once they've catalogued the piece. Upon request, a video will be provided.

About the Artist: Auguste Chabaud (1882-1955). Auguste Chabaud 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 hillside 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 35 cm / 13.8"

W 44 cm / 17.3"

Dimensions without frame:

H 22.5 cm / 8.9"

W 32 cm / 12.6"