Robert Dessales-quentin (1885-1958) The Saltgourde Pavilion, Marsac-chancelade, Dordogne

Robert DESSALES-QUENTIN
(Brantôme 1885 - 1958)
The Saltgourde Pavilion
Watercolor
H. 29.5 cm; W. 22 cm, sight size
Signed lower right

Provenance: Private collection, Périgord

Robert Dessales-Quentin was born in one of the most beautiful villages in France: Brantôme, nicknamed the Venice of Périgord, as it is situated on the banks of the Dronne, a river that became a natural defense by encircling the town. This small town in northern Périgord was the artist's playground throughout his life. At the age of four, he completely lost his hearing as a result of treatment ill-suited to his intolerance to quinine, which was then unknown. His father, a notary in Brantôme, decided to send him quickly to Paris where he would pursue his studies at the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes. Aware of his artistic inclinations, his parents enrolled him at the Académie Julian, in the studio of the renowned Jean-Paul Laurens. A man of refined taste and deeply attached to his native region, Dessales-Quentin naturally gravitated towards landscapes rather than the history painting for which his studies had prepared him. He quickly returned to the Périgord region and found his niche in depicting local heritage. Castles, stately homes, churches, and cityscapes were exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris starting in 1909. He was most at ease with watercolor, even receiving a Grand Mention Honorable at the Salon in 1928, a rare achievement for this medium. In oil painting, he went through several distinct periods and styles, notably a period that could be called "wisteria," due to the recurring presence of this plant in his paintings between the two world wars. A drawing teacher for over fifteen years at the prestigious Saint-Joseph Institution in Périgueux, and in his studio on Rue du Plantier, he was known by his students as "the brilliant left-hander." It was in this studio that Dessales-Quentin welcomed the entire Périgord community each year for a highly anticipated exhibition of his work. Accustomed to the old stone buildings of Périgord, he nevertheless remained open to exploring other cultures. Corrèze was a frequent stop on his travels, as was the Basque Country, both French and Spanish. He exhibited his works in numerous French cities, traces of which we regularly find through the familiar labels on the back of the watercolors and their original frames.

While the subject was depicted by several painters from Périgord, is it truly known and recognized today? The pavilions of the Château de Saltgourde in Chancelade date from the late 16th century and are located at either end of a small canal bordering the old castle grounds. They consist of two rooms, two tiny castles built of dressed stone, with beautiful mullioned windows, fireplaces, and so on. Unfortunately, today the site is used for commercial purposes, and the grounds, along with the pavilions, are abandoned. The one painted by Dessales-Quentin lost its roof many years ago and its neighbor has been restored with modernity, too much modernity…The castle is divided into apartments, and the park has simply become the Périgueux golf course.