French, 1842-1920
Provenance: Estate of the artist
Passed to the girlfriend of Paul Lecomte after his death in 1920
Passed in the family to the grandmother of the above owner
French landscapist and watercolorist , born Paris April 25 1842, died Paris 1920.
A sensitive and delicate landscape artist and watercolorist, Paul Lecomte was a student of the renowned Barbizon landscape painter Emile Lambinet. He began exhibiting at the Paris Salon from 1868 onwards winning awards including Honorable Mentions in 1882 and 1889 at the Exposition Universelle, a 3rd class medal in 1888, 2nd class in 1895, a silver medal in 1900 at the Exposition Universelle.
He was partial to interpreting sites in the Ile de France, Normandy, Brittany and the Basque regions of France.
His watercolors have a great freshness and an impressionistic touch capturing his views which always describe the countryside with a sense of serenity.
The Museum of Mulhouse in France has in their permanent collection the painting by Lecomte entitled “Le Pont Neuf”. Lecomte exhibited an identical subject in the Paris Salon of 1877.
French, 1842-1920
Provenance: Estate of the artist
Passed to the girlfriend of Paul Lecomte after his death in 1920
Passed in the family to the grandmother of the above owner
The romantic and elegant color palette created by Paul Lecomte in Etang à Long-Pré-les-Corps-Saints accentuates the innate beauty in the landscape of Long-Pré-les-Corps-Saints. Situated in the region of Picardie, France on the banks of the Somme River, Long-Pré-les-Corps-Saints is a densely populated village infiltrated with many small ponds that is completely surrounded by peat fen. Named for the thousands of religious relics found as a result of the Crusades, such as bone fragments of saints and portions of the true sacrificial cross, this village gained fame and profited largely because of its location amongst the peat.
As a student of Emile Lambinet and John Henri Harpignies, Paul Lecomte was exposed to the Impressionist and Barbizon schools of his time. Lecomte was able to take his training in these genres and refine it into his own personal painting style, which is notable in this painting. The marshy environment of Long-Pré-les-Corps-Saints is successfully rendered by Lecomte in this work, and the verdant greens associated with the thick peat fen entice the viewer. The delicate manner in which Lecomte has handled the differentiation between light and shadow creates the allusion of three dimensionality in the painting. Etang is the French word for pond, and Paul Lecomte has captured one of the many small ponds that are scattered throughout the landscape of Long-Pré-les-Corps-Saints.
Whether his subjects were along the Normandy coast, along the streets of Paris or the countryside of Ile-de-France, Lecomte expresses the atmosphere of the subject in a muted color palette and impressive brushwork.
Paul Lecomte was a regular exhibiter and participated in shows at the Paris Salons where he received honorable mentions in 1882 and 1889. He was awarded médailles de troisiéme classe in 1888 and a second place medal in 1900. Lecomte’s son, Paul Emile Lecomte (1877-1950) studied under him and followed closely in his footsteps painting canvases in the countryside of the Ile-de-France and Normandy.
Upon the death of Paul Lecomte, this painting was given to his good friend. It passed in the same family for two generations.
Collections
Musée de Mulhouse, France
French, 1842-1920
Provenance: Estate of the artist
Passed to the girlfriend of Paul Lecomte after his death in 1920
Passed in the family to the grandmother of the above owner
Nestled among the tress along the river bend are two young children. In the distance, the ruins of Château Gaillard are situated atop a small rise in the landscape. Paul Lecomte visited this area many times and created canvases of various sizes based on the inspirational, almost mystical surroundings of this region. The typical theme and division of his work is evidenced here; small children are incorporated amidst towering trees. As a student of both the Barbizon and Impressionist school, Paul Lecomte studied alongside masters Henri Joseph Harpignies and Emile Lambinet. The influences of both genres greatly affected Lecomte’s artistic views and aided him in creating a unique style that married together both Impressionism and Barbizonism.
The Château Gaillard is located in Les Andelys, France and was the stronghold of Richard the Lionheart. According to historical documents, King Richard I of England, the feudal Duke of Normandy, was first given the idea for the construction of the Château Gaillard in a dream. It took the wealth of King Richard I and the relentless efforts of 6,000 workers to bring the castle construction to an end. Upon its completion in 1198, the Château Gaillard was a massive fortification. The enormous size of the building and the fact that it only took a year to complete the fortress continues to baffle architects and scholars today. In the middle ground of Deux Enfants et un Vache prés de Château Gaillard the Seine River winds around the valley. This location was carefully chosen by Kind Richard I as the Seine makes a sharp turn at Les Andelys. The site upon which the castle was constructed sharply angles outward above the peninsula, making attack impossible from this vantage point and only possible from the plateau. Because of this, a strong triangular reinforcement of five towers was erected on this side, behind which was a high stone wall. Despite all of his efforts, King Richard I did not live long after the completion of the Château Gaillard, passing away in 1199. The fortress passed to Richard’s brother, John Lackland, who was acting as the late King’s vassal to secure the lands bestowed upon him for his feudal services. Unfortunately, in 1202, John Lackland was charged with disobedience to the King and his lands were revoked from him resulting in the conquest of Normandy. Today, the ruins of the Château Gaillard remain much like Paul Lecomte has captured them in this painting.
Paul Lecomte was a regular exhibiter and participated in shows at the Paris Salons where he received honorable mentions in 1882 and 1889. He was awarded médailles de troisiéme classe in 1888 and a second place medal in 1900. Lecomte’s son, Paul Emile Lecomte (1877-1950) studied under him and followed closely in his footsteps painting canvases in the countryside of the Ile-de-France and Normandy.
Upon the death of Paul Lecomte, this painting was given to his good friend. It passed in the same family for two generations.
Collections
Musée de Mulhouse, France
