Alexandre-Marie COLIN
The return from fishing, circa 1840
Oil on canvas
Signed bottom left
Dimensions: 27 x 40.5 cm
With frame : 34 x 48 cm
SOLD
Parisian painter of French Romanticism.
The painting represents a return of fishing, with a romantic facture and a dynamic composition. The characters, mainly women and children accompanied by a dog, are resting after the effort of fishing and collecting shellfish.
We find in this work the great characteristics of romanticism:
An idealization of the scene where the expression of feelings is very present; many expressive glances are exchanged between the protagonists. The light and colors, dear to the Romantics, illuminate the canvas. The children’s colorful hats have various patterns, the scarves as well as the outfits of the fisherwomen have different shades.
the composition is structured by a descending diagonal formed by the three fisherwomen in the foreground. The painter’s workmanship serves the solidity of the composition.
Alexandre-Marie Colin painted with the Romantics.
Pupil of Anne-Louis Girodet, he became a painter of history, genre, portrait and landscape. Colin was a great friend of Delacroix, a leading figure of French Romanticism, and of Richard Bonington, one of the most important English Romantic painters of his time. He participated in the Parisian Salons from 1819 until the end of his career. He was medalist and rewarded from 1824 to 1840, painted the decor of the church of Saint-Roch in 1851 and was appointed professor of drawing at the Beaux-Arts in Nîmes when he reached maturity. Posterity has often confused certain paintings by Delacroix with those by Colin. From the artist, we remember his portraits of the Parisian high society, painters (for example, the Portrait of Géricault, 1924) and actors in stage costume. Otherwise, he painted landscapes of Italy and history paintings of the struggle for Greek independence, inspired by the poetic masterpieces of Lord Byron.
Bibliography :
• Emmanuel Bénézit, “Dictionary of painters, sculptors, designers and engravers”, t. 3, Paris, Librairie Gründ, 1976, p. 772
• Michel Nicolas, “History of the artists, painters, sculptors, architects and musician-composers of the Gard department”, Nîmes, Imprimerie Ballivet, 1859, p. 14-15
• “Catalogue of paintings and copies of Alexandre Colin, history painter, knight of the Legion of Honor and antique furniture, porcelain, earthenware, costumes, fabrics, various objects that furnished his studio, the sale of which will take place following his death on Wednesday February 2, 1876”, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 1876, p. I-XII
Museums :
–Paris:
– Musée du Louvre, Department of Paintings; Musée du Louvre, Department of Graphic Arts; Hôtel Matignon.
– Versailles, National Museum of the Chateaux of Versailles and Trianon; North Wing of the Ministers; Lambinet Museum.
- In the provinces:
- Rouen, Museum of Fine Arts.
- Dijon; Magnin National Museum.
- Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue; maritime museum of the Tatihou Island.
- Autún; Rolin Museum.
- Sweet whipped cream ; Conde Museum.
- Towers; Museum of Fine Arts.
- Dijon; Museum of Fine Arts.
- International:
- Munich,
- Florence.
