Painting The Donkey And The Chickens Norbert Goeneutte (1854-1894) Oil On Panel

Beautiful and rare Oil on panel by Norbert Goeneutte depicting a donkey and chickens. Nice small format in which Norbert Goeneutte excelled. Painter, draftsman and lithographer Norbert Goeneutte enrolled at the Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1871, in the studio of Isidore Pils. When his master died in 1873, the young painter left the Beaux-Arts and then rented a studio at 21 rue Bréda. His next-door neighbor, the artist Marcellin Desboutin, then introduced him to engraving. Both regularly frequented the Nouvelle Athènes located at 9 Place Pigalle, a meeting place for artists and painters of the time. There they rubbed shoulders with Zola, Manet, Degas and Renoir. Moreover, in 1875, Goeneutte posed for Renoir in "Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette" and in "La Balançoire". He began his career as a Salon artist in 1876 with two paintings, "In Class" and "Boulevard Clichy in Snowy Weather," which would become one of his most famous. During this Salon, he met Hippolyte Fortin, an art collector, of whom he painted two portraits in 1878. Goeneutte achieved great success at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1877 with "The Call of the Sweepers in Front of the Opera," a boldly framed Parisian genre scene. This painting particularly well illustrates the influence of the themes developed by the Impressionists, such as modernity and urban life, as well as the importance of capturing the present moment. Moreover, the treatment of passersby in front of the Opera is reminiscent of certain paintings by Caillebotte. Appreciated by painters and writers of the time, he attracted attention at the Salon of 1880 with a strikingly true-to-life work, "Morning Soup." Antonin Proust, journalist and politician, first Minister of Arts, said of this painting in 1895 during the retrospective of the artist's works "the distribution of soup to the poor will remain as one of the most beautiful paintings of our time." In 1881, Goeneutte lost his friend Edouard Manet, and very saddened by his death, he proposed at the Salon of 1884 "The Drinker" which paid homage to Manet's painting "Bon Bock." Manet, twenty-two years his senior, considered the young painter as the most brilliant artist of his generation. During the winter of 1888-1889, Bracquemond and Guérard will create a new company: Les Peintres Graveurs. Goeneutte then naturally participated in the exhibitions that would temporarily bring together three generations of independent engravers at Durand-Ruel: the Impressionists represented by Pissarro, Degas and Bracquemond, the generation of Guérard, Goeneutte, Buhot, and finally the younger ones such as Lucien Pissarro. The Universal Exhibition of 1889, as well as the first exhibition of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts were a triumph. Goeneutte once again met with success and affirmed his status as an essential artist. Constantly in demand by the dealers and collectors of the time, commissions poured into his studio. Unfortunately, the artist had fragile health and in 1891 Doctor Gachet, whose portrait he painted, diagnosed him with a heart condition. He then advised him to settle in Auvers-sur-Oise where he continued to paint for three years, which allowed him to participate again in the exhibitions of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. At only 40 years old, Goeneutte passed away, leaving behind a body of work of prime importance. Norbert Goeneutte loved to paint scenes of Parisian life, portraits of family and friends, genre scenes, elegant women, and numerous landscapes. Despite the diversity of themes and techniques used, Norbert Goeneutte's work is highly unified. He was able to depict scenes of everyday life with simplicity and to choose the accuracy of detail. A certain tranquility, particular to his work, emanates from all his compositions. Source: https://www.galeriearyjan.com/fr/goeneutte-norbert.htm