'The Cowshed' by Guillaume Dulac (circa 1920s)

'The Cowshed', pencil on paper, by Guillaume Dulac (circa 1920s). This is a tender study drawn from life. A calf suckles from its mother in the light of a farm cowshed. The cow’s broad body fills the centre of the sheet, its dark patches built up in simple diagonal hatching, while the calf is drawn in lighter lines beneath her. Other cows stand just behind on the left of the drawing, and the timber uprights and planks of the stall nicely frame the scene, with light falling in through the opening above. This piece is compelling because its image emerges from just a few graceful lines, curves and shading. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. It’s an intimate glimpse of rural life, and the kind of direct observation that underpinned the artist's landscapes of the French countryside. Given its nearly 100 years, it is notable for its state of preservation (in good overall condition) yet the paper does present some very slight, characterful blemishing - please enjoy the photos accompanying this listing. The artwork has been newly framed and glazed. Upon request, a video will be provided. Our gallery holds virtually the entire remaining collection of this artist’s sketches and memorabilia, from which this drawing comes. It is unsigned. A series of Dulac's sketches may be acquired from our gallery on this platform to create a set to enhance a corridor or stairway of your home or workplace.

Dimensions with frame:

H 30.7 cm / 12.1"

W 37.2 cm / 14.6"

Dimensions without frame:

H 19.6 cm / 7.7"

W 26.5 cm / 10.4"

About the Artist: Guillaume Dulac (1883-1929). This is a historical piece from a French artist born in the 19th century. A close associate of Charles Camoin and Albert Marquet, he exhibited landscapes at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris from 1905, at the Salon de l’Union Artistique in Toulouse in 1908, and at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1909 and 1910. In 1920 he was given a solo exhibition at the Galerie E. Druet in Paris, one of the leading modern galleries of the day. He painted Paris, Provence and his native south-west, and his work is held in the Musée de Cahors. His final exhibition was at the Salon des Tuileries in June 1929; later that year he drowned in the Seine, aged 46. He is listed in Cabanne and Schurr’s Les petits maîtres de la peinture, 1820–1920, and an avenue in La Ciotat, near Marseille, bears his name.