'The Fisherman' by Charles Kvapil (c. 1930s)

'The Fisherman' or 'Le Pecheur' (c. 1930s), oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1884 - 1957). This artwork depicts a solitary man fishing in a pond surrounded by lush foliage. Notwithstanding the title of the work, the fisherman is portrayed by the artist as simply another natural entity in the rich, green environment. The fisherman, contemplative and meditative, is serenely interconnected with the trees on the bank, the plants sprouting from the earth and the fish in the pond. This artwork is in its original frame and in good vintage condition commensurate with its age but with evident points of flaking paint. They do not detract from the overall impression of the work. There appears to be some artistic and structural similarities to Cézanne's 'Pont de Maincy' (1879).

About the Artist: Charles Kvapil was born in 1884 in Antwerp, Belgium. He exhibited his first works there in 1908 at the Salon d'Anvers. After the war he attended l'Académie des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp and began to exhibit in Paris in 1920 at the Salon des Indépendants.

Kvapil was known primarily as a painter of people, in particular of curvaceous nudes. He moved into a studio in Montmartre where he painted his models in the studio with Sacre Coeur as backdrop. He also painted in the countryside like the Impressionists. Kvapil's paintings are creative and modern; his nudes and bouquets of flowers are energetic and powerful. His palette is rich in cobalt blues and in fiery earth tones. His technique is intuitive and confident. Although his oils were often modestly presented on panels of wood or soft board, those formats did not detract from the evident talent he displayed nor from the joy exemplified in his paintings.

Dimensions with frame:

H  75.5 cm

W  89 cm

Dimensions without frame:

H  58 cm

W  71.5 cm