Paul Emile Lecomte

Shipping costs within France: 35 euros in addition to the price.

The Quays at Saint-Malo, 1939. Drawing 26 x 28 cm.
Signed lower left. Perfect condition.
Sold framed under glass.
Provenance: The artist's studio.

The Work : This original pencil drawing on paper depicts a lively scene on the quayside in Saint-Malo.
The work is characteristic of the hand of Paul-Émile Lecomte, a member of the Société des Artistes Français, renowned for his seascapes and scenes of daily life in Brittany and Normandy.
The line is lively and impressionistic.
On the left, a foreground shaded by large trees where a seated figure can be discerned.
In the center, a crowd of dynamically sketched figures moves towards the background. In the background, one can make out the masts of ships and the light architecture of a port or seaside resort.
The handling of light is remarkable, allowing the white paper to evoke the brightness of a sunny day.
The drawing includes a handwritten note in the lower left corner placing the scene in Saint-Malo.
Paul Émile Lecomte (1877-1950) was born on October 29, 1877, in Paris and died there in September 1950.
Lecomte studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and then worked for the Ministry of the Navy. He was appointed official painter of the French Navy in 1921. A painter of watercolors and oils, and an etcher, he was initially a student of Fernand Cormon and his uncle, Paul Lecomte.
Paul-Émile Lecomte was a member of the Salon des Artistes Français and exhibited regularly at the Parisian salon throughout his career. He is known for his Impressionist style and the soft colors he used in his depictions. He loved to paint Brittany, its ports and coastlines, scenes of daily life, and Parisian boulevards.
At the beginning of his career, he painted in the same style as his uncle,
Paul Lecomte (1842-1920). His early works are often mistakenly attributed to him because their signatures can be confused. An excellent draftsman, he quickly developed his own style.
Lecomte's father was a painter and taught him techniques from a very young age, allowing him to earn a living and have time for painting. Lecomte was a member of the Salon des Artistes Français and exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon throughout his career.
He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1901 to 1912.