Joseph Hurard (1887-1956) The Rue Des Peintres In Villeneuve Lez Avignon

A lively and colorful work on the picturesque subject of this street animated by characters and chickens in Villeneuve lez Avignon at the beginning of the 20th century. The work, in its good original condition, is offered in a pretty Louis XIV frame with a faded patina which measures 51 cm by 60 cm and 38 cm by 46 cm for the wooden panel alone. A great specialist in the views of Martigues and the surrounding area of Avignon, the artist created this cheerful and folkloric work in a generous material, mastering as always the light and colors of the south.

Born in Avignon in 1887, he first worked in a drugstore. Selling canvases and colors to Avignon artists, he meets them on Sundays to paint with them. His talent noted, he was part of the “Group of Thirteen” created in 1912 by Clément Brun, of whom he was the youngest. He became friends with Joseph Meissonnier and participated with the group in a first exhibition on December 21, 1912 which was a great success, followed by a second exhibition on December 18, 1913, which was also the last of the Group. In this crucible, he meets elders already touched by fame like Lina Bill or Auguste Chabaud. Among the most gifted draftsmen of his generation, painting with disconcerting ease, he quickly stood out. Unfortunately Hurard did not go to study at the Beaux-Arts which we may regret because he would probably have been one of the greatest painters of his time. He died in Martigues in 1956. Exhibition at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris Exhibition at the Salon des Indépendants, Paris Retrospective in Martigues in 1956 Works in Public Collections Calvet Museum in Avignon Ziem Museum in Martigues Regards de Provence Foundation in Marseille