![Henry Moret, ‘Deux barques dans l’anse, calme plat’ (‘Two Boats in the Handle, Dead Calm’) [detail], 1896, oil on canvas. Image © Thierry-Lannon & Associés](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/d63967b0-99cd-442d-9c4d-20012d505bde_Cover.jpg?auto=format,compress)
Painters became interested in Brittany from the 19th century, when they were easily able to reach the province by train. In this region, steeped in customs and traditions and which seemed to be a last bastion still standing in the face of modernity, scenes of everyday life and landscapes fascinated artists. Like a refuge, Brittany became the place for new artistic sensibilities, as artists fled from dizzying industrialisation and urbanisation.
It is because of this that the Breton schools clearly stand out in Thierry-Lannon & Associés’ 12-December sale, which gives pride of place to the Pont-Aven school and its most prestigious representatives.
Among them is a work by Maurice Denis and four others by Paul Sérusier, whose synthetic shapes and intensity of colours remind us of the nabi movement. Also of note is the presence of an important pastel in shades of green by Paul Sérusier, representing Vallée de Châteauneuf au ruisseau (‘Châteauneuf Valley with a Stream’), near Châteauneuf-du-Faou in Finistère. The artist had settled in this Breton village in 1906, which inspired many of his works, and where he remained until the end of his days, in 1927.
Henry Moret painted seascapes in which his vibration of colour, perceptible through his brushstroke, managed to transmit the sea’s wave. Four of his works are featured in this auction, including Deux barques dans l'anse, calm calm (‘Two Boats in the Handle, Dead Calm’). This painting, which is also the cover of Thierry-Lannon & Associés’ auction catalogue, is in the image of the colourful landscapes of the Breton coast that brought the colourist painter his fame, before joining the largest museum collections.
Several works by Maxime Maufra are also on offer, notably Marée basse, Île Tudy (‘Low Tide, Isle Tudy’), which, in a single composition, brings together the radiance of colours dear to this adopted Breton, and the vigor of Maufra’s touches of paint.
Ferdinand Loyen du Puigaudeau, who also passed through Pont-Aven, is best known for his work on night light, whether artificial or natural. Thierry-Lannon & Associés pays homage to this painter by offering three compositions of his work.
Among these three we find L'église du bourg de Batz sous la lune (‘The Church of the Village of Batz Under the Moon’), a striking nocturnal scene with mystical accents, as well as La lanterne magique (‘The Magic Lantern’), whose soft colours communicate the hypnotising effect that magic lanterns must have had at the time, the distant ancestors of cinema and projection devices.
Among the other representatives of the Pont-Aven School convened in the sale are several works by Adolphe Beaufrère, Emile Bernard and Ernest Ponthier de Chamaillard.
As for modern paintings, Thierry-Lannon is offering a beautiful work by the post-impressionist artist Henri Martin. An important painter who distinguished himself by the finesse of his pointillism, as well as his delicate and harmonious palettes, he had a particular affection for southern light.
In Automne, entrée principale de Marquayrol (‘Autumn, Main Entrance to Marquayrol’), he painted one of his favourite subjects: his Marquayrol home, bought at the turn of the century in Labastide-du-Vert, where he remained until the end of his life, in 1943. The simplicity of the composition, the symmetry of the framing and the harmony of the colours give a softness to this canvas, illustrating the serenity of this mythical place in the history of the painter.
Marée basse au port de Honfleur (‘Low Tide at the Port of Honfleur’) by Albert Marquet is also to be offered. The work is characteristic of this artist who would represent port scenes, and whose spontaneous touches of colour did not detract from his mastery of space and volume. The occasion of this sale is all the more remarkable since a similar view of the Port of Honfleur also dated 1911, but at high tide, is housed at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and comes from the prestigious Shchoukine collection.
In total, 416 lots make up this auction which will take place on 12 December at Thierry-Lannon & Associés, Brest, France. For all the information relating to the conditions of sale, we invite you to consult the auction house's website. The health constraints surrounding the exhibition and the sale are subject to current legislation.
