Th�r�se Cotard-Dupr� b. 1877

La Fenaison 

Oil on canvas, 21 � x 18 inches. Signed by the artist
Exhibited: Milmo-Penny Fine Art, Dec. 2004

As a painter, Th�r�se Cotard-Dupr� could not have had a better start in life. Born in Paris in 1877 her father was regarded as one of the finest of the group of second-generation Realist painters of the late 19^th century. Th�r�se grew up to be one of his students. Her work is extremely rare, with only a handful of works appearing on the market over the last decade. She comes closest to Julien Dupr��s style with La Fenaison. It is undoubtedly the finest of her works to come to light so far. 

As the work of a third generation Realist, there is a significant difference in the treatment of the subject matter to that of Millet or Breton. Rather than portraying the harvester as downtrodden, Th�r�se depicts the young girl as elegant, proud, strong, healthy and engrossed in work. The figure is drawn with supreme control. Her poise shows perfect balance. The impression is given that this is a task that she has carried out many times before, one that requires a degree of skill. It is not portrayed as a menial chore. 

Great attention is paid to detail such as and the ties of the apron and the folds of the Seine Maritime costume, painted with a wonderful display of colour harmony. The bent leg and rotated shoulders are caught in a split-second pause, just before the grasses are tossed from the fork. The blades of grass add further to the feeling of movement as they float through the air. The triangle formed by the horizontal line of the pitchfork and the girl�s straightened arms is intended to strengthen the composition.  

In the background, the main group of harvesters are at work loading a wagon. They are lit through a break in the overcast sky. The threat of rain might explain the anxious expression on the harvester�s face. They work in front of a bank of trees, which possibly stand along the banks of the river as it runs through the Val�e de la Durdent. This fertile Normandy valley is formed by the rolling hills that form the backdrop to our painting.

Minnie Agnes Cohen 1864 � 1940

Fisherwomen

 Oil on canvas, 18 x 12 inches. Signed by the artist

Minnie Agnes Cohen was born in Eccles, Lancaster, in May 1864. Very few of her paintings have come to light but the recent rediscovery of one of her best works, At the Capstan Bars, caused quite a stir in the market. She worked in oil and watercolour and is also remembered for her exceptional pastels. The quality of her work is not surprising when we consider her training. She studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London and in Paris under Benjamin Constant, Puvis de Chavannes and Edouard Bordes. During her illustrious career, her work was hung in the most important Salons of London, Paris, Antwerp, The Hague, Rotterdam, Hanover, Berlin and Florence. These were mostly figurative works, many of which were painted in Holland in the picturesque fishing village of Katwyk, at the mouth of the Old Rhine. 

The resort was reached by means of a steam tram that ran through endless fields of brightly coloured tulips. A few miles back along the sandy beach is Scheveningen, where Hone did some fine work on the beach. Katwyk was an ideal painting ground and home to a number of artists. They were attracted there by the richness of the subject matter and the fine costume of the locals. As we can see from the current work, they wore many layers of clothing as protection from the harsh, unbroken west winds. Minnie Agnes enhances the study by attending to small detail such as the tie cords that hold down the wide brimmed hats. She indicates the strength of the breeze by the tie string on one of the aprons, blown out in a straight line. As was the case in Brittany, villagers could be identified by the style of their dress. The distinctive bonnets provided much needed protection from the harsh wind and from the sun. The wide brimmed hats appear to be worn by the older women. The clogs and heavy black stockings are typical of the dress of the fisherwomen and were undoubtedly worn for the warmth they provided. 

The surf, whipped up by the strong breeze, merges with the white light of the horizon and contrasts strongly with the brooding, overcast sky. Reflections are skilfully handled, not only in the rivulet that runs down to the sea, but also in the wet sand. The solitary figure by the waterside forms a link for the eye that joins the three main parts of the composition and establishes the perspective for the various elements. Empty baskets suggest that the fisherwomen are waiting for the catch to be landed. The long narrow pennant flown from the masthead is typical of the fishing fleet that sailed off the Dutch coast. The hull and rigging can be compared to that shown in paintings by contemporaries such as Maris, Mesdag and Blommers.

Henri Gu�rard 1846 � 1897

Wagonnets, Honfleur

Oil on canvas, 9 � x 13 inches. Signed by the artist

Exhibited

Theatre d Application, Paris, 1891, Exposition Henri Gurard number 201;
Milmo-Penny Fine Art, Dec. 2001

Henri-Charles Gu�rard was born in Paris at 41 rue Bourbon Villeneuve on the 28th of April 1846. Having first studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, in 1870 he changed course and applied himself to the fine arts of painting and engraving under the tutelage of Nicolas Berthon. In this same year, he began his impressive exhibition career with an oil, Le Puits , at the Salon des Artistes Francais. He became one of the elite group of Impressionist painters in the circle of Manet and Renoir. For the remainder of his life, he continued to show at the most important French and American venues. To this day, his work is featured in prestige exhibitions worldwide.

In 1874 he posed for his future wife, Eva Gonzales. She modelled for Edouard Manet and was his only pupil. Under Manet�s guidance, Eva became a fine painter. Connoisseurs of Irish art will be familiar with Manet�s impressive portrait of Eva seated at her easel. Purchased by Hugh Lane, it was later bequeathed to Dublin�s Municipal Gallery. Manet�s study of Gu�rard is probably even more famous. He may be identified as the imposing-looking gentleman in the top hat seated between two ladies the celebrated masterpiece, At the Caf�, painted in 1878. Gu�rard lent Manet his assistance with the etchings he produced in his later years. Manet evidently held Gu�rard in high regard as is illustrated by a letter to Eva, in which he refers to Gu�rard as �our one and only etcher�. As can be seen from the current example, Gu�rard was also a fine oil painter. His work in this medium is extremely rare and consists mainly of coastal and harbour scenes, reminiscent of Boudin and early work by Monet.

Go to Tag Sales