Octave Penguilly l'Haridon – Renaissance Tavern Scene - 1860 - Signed

Octave PENGUILLY L'HARIDON (1811-1870)
Renaissance Tavern Scene
Oil on panel
Signed with monogram and dated lower left
21 × 16.5 cm

This charming oil on panel illustrates Penguilly L'Haridon's taste for historical scenes and his fascination with the Renaissance. Two figures in period costumes, with richly patterned fabrics, are seated at a table in the hushed atmosphere of a tavern. On the left, an elderly man wearing a red and white doublet with characteristic slashes is slumped and asleep. Opposite him, his companion sports a sumptuous blue and gold costume with puffed sleeves, his gaze fixed and pensive.

On the rustic wooden table, a meticulously arranged still life brings together pewter jugs and beer glasses, evidence of libations. On the floor, an overturned bottle completes this genre scene imbued with a certain picturesque charm.

This small-format work testifies to Penguilly L'Haridon's technical virtuosity and his erudition in historical costume, acquired notably during his time as curator of the Artillery Museum and Napoleon III's armor collection. The precision of the clothing details and the quality of the execution characterize the meticulous work of this officer-painter, who exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon.

The work is in good overall condition. It is monogrammed OPy for Octave Penguilly L'Haridon and dated 1860 in the lower left corner. It is presented in a substantial period frame decorated with laurel leaves. The panel is not wood but a type of fibrous material patented in 1846 by Tachet, and is in very good condition.

The artist
Born on April 4, 1811, in Paris, Octave Penguilly L'Haridon embodies the figure of the 19th-century military artist. Admitted to the École Polytechnique in 1831, he pursued a career as an artillery officer, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, while simultaneously indulging his passion for the arts.

As early as 1834, while still a student at the École d'Application in Metz, he won a medal for his drawings. He exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1835 to 1870. His pictorial work is characterized by its eclecticism: Breton landscapes, historical scenes, Orientalist and religious subjects. His painting Combat of the Thirty (1857) stands out for its meticulous detail, a testament to his expertise in weaponry. In 1859, his landscape painting *Les Petites Mouettes* (The Little Seagulls) was noticed by Charles Baudelaire for its break with academic conventions.

His dual expertise led to his appointment as curator of the Artillery Museum in 1854, and then of Napoleon III's armor collection in 1869. A prolific illustrator, he contributed to several books on Brittany. Appreciated by Princess Mathilde and supported by the Emperor, Penguilly L'Haridon died on November 4, 1870, in Paris, leaving behind a body of work now held in several museums, including the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée d'Orsay in Rennes, and the Musée du Quai Branly in Quimper.

Work is on display at the gallery (07240).
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