Louis Cabié (1853-1939) Royan Seen From Saint Georges De Didonne

Louis-Alexandre CABIÉ
(Dol-de-Bretagne 1853 - Bordeaux 1939)
Royan seen from Saint Georges de Didonne
Watercolor
H. 28.5 cm; W. 36 cm
Signed lower right, dated 1896
Located lower left

Provenance: June 29, 1988, Me Briest, Drouot, lot 22

Louis Cabié, a renowned artist in France and particularly in the Bordeaux region, even during his lifetime, traveled extensively throughout the southwest of France. A student of Harpignies, whose passion for vegetation is reminiscent of the Barbizon school, he continued to capture the simplicity of picturesque French landscapes until his death. Spectacular trees, forest settings, places steeped in history, enchanting valleys, or even a landscape in its purest form, which he imbued with a vibrant contrast.

Saint Georges de Didonne is one of the places most frequently depicted by Cabié throughout his career. He was painting on the banks of the Gironde estuary as early as 1889, and the last works currently recorded there were created in 1910. He set up his easel primarily in Vallières to paint the rocks and the luminous town of Royan in the background, and exhibited several of his canvases at the Paris Salon. In his major works, which are very large in size, we find this famous landscape, in front of which several holm oaks stand out in groves, a scene also known from a period postcard. These trees, defying the coastal winds, are the same ones depicted in our watercolor, from whose viewpoint we can make out the white facades of Royan on the horizon.

We are seeking any works or information relating to the artist to complete his biography and a catalogue raisonné currently being compiled.