Yaude (jean Duraffourg, Known As) (1937-2007) The Village - Beaumont

YAUDE (Jean Duraffourg, known as)
(Bellecombe 1937 – Beaumont-du-Périgord 2007)
The Village
Pastel
H. 62 cm; W. 62 cm
Signed lower left

Provenance: Périgord collection.

Born in the Haut-Jura, Jean Duraffourg, known as Yaude – his mother's maiden name – pursued a unique artistic path, between sensitive figuration and graphic stylization. After studying drawing in Paris in the 1950s, he participated very early on in several major exhibitions, including the Salon d'Automne, attracting the attention of art critic George Besson. But rather than pursuing a Parisian career, Yaude chose the path of withdrawal, of deep roots, settling permanently in Beaumont-du-Périgord in 1973. The Périgord then became his territory of creation. He did not paint its landscapes like postcards or faithful records. In Yaude's work, villages, hills, and trees are recomposed according to a sensitive memory. Forms are flattened, lines simplified, and colors blend into soft harmonies. The warm light of the southwest permeates his work without excess: it illuminates, but never dominates. The Périgord region is not a subject, it is a presence. Drawing remains at the heart of his practice. In ink, pencil, or graphite, he sketches and composes his works before enlarging them on canvas. He traces silhouettes of houses, fragments of roofs, winding paths—all signs of a world seen, then distilled with a highly personal economy of means. Portraits are also very present in his work. Those of his friends and loved ones, which sometimes appear in very large, vibrant compositions. In this type of work, one finds the vision of other Périgord artists such as Jean Cluseau-Lanauve or Pierre Baudin. Still lifes are not neglected, and subjects very much associated with the Périgord region are commonly found within them. His work, largely produced in the intimacy of his Périgord studio, remains largely unknown to the general public. Yet, it displays a power that blends attention to reality with poetic detachment. It belongs to that discreet tradition of painters who choose withdrawal rather than posturing, silence rather than signing their name. Throughout his career, Yaude had a particular, almost defiant, relationship with his gallery owners and with the recognition of his work. He wanted to make his own way, rejecting the help offered to him, even refusing the proposal from the Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg to become their official painter… His talent remains in his work, which now needs to be brought to light once again.

Remaining in the home of collectors in Périgord since its purchase from the artist, this pastel work was accompanied by a larger oil painting. This village, whether in the Périgord or the Jura, is difficult to discern, nestled between its hills and a few trees that define the foreground. The church, "in the center of the village," is surrounded by tiled and slate roofs, which cascade down to the brown earth of the background.