Les Sables d'Olonne - Gabriel Augizeau 1894-1963

First half of the 20th century. School: Vendée School of Painting. Dimensions (visible): Height: 22 cm, Length: 27.5 cm. Dimensions (with frame): Height: 37 cm, Length: 41.5 cm.
Gabriel Augizeau was born on December 13, 1894, in the lower Vendée bocage region. The small village of Nieul-Le-Dolent, located 15 km from La Roche-sur-Yon and 20 km from the sea, was home to his father Victor's butcher shop. Victor occasionally set aside his cleaver and knives for… the barber's razor and scissors! His mother, Clarisse, helped in the shop. He was about ten years old when the family moved to Les Sables d'Olonne. Victor and Clarisse, his parents, took over a café on Rue Printanière, which also served as a delicatessen. In 1908, he obtained his primary school certificate. Belonging to the class of 1914, the young Gabriel was mobilized in the very first hours of the conflict; he was 20 years old. He was assigned to the 93rd Infantry Regiment until October 6, 1915, when he was taken prisoner. He finished the war in Germany. Returning to the Vendée region, he took over his father's charcuterie business and settled on the Talmont road. In April 1919, he married a young seamstress from Les Sables-d'Olonne, Marguerite Menanteau. They had a daughter, Josette. Then one day, the paintbrush proved stronger than the knife. Gabriel Augizeau gave up his charcuterie business for his painting studio. With the arrival of summer, he moved into his small "cabin" on stilts, which opened onto the seafront. The view from there was magnificent, overlooking the port, the channel, and the lighthouse. Vacationers strolling by watch him work and admire the canvases he hangs here and there. Enamored with his native Vendée, with its hedged farmlands and coastline, Gabriel Augizeau captured its beauty and authenticity. The Breton coast also sometimes inspired him.
On May 25, 1963, Gabriel Augizeau passed away at the age of 68. The Vendée painter had contributed to the local artistic scene by participating in various exhibitions. For example, in January 1927, he participated in the first Salon Yonnais, which presented the works of 200 established Vendée painters to the discerning public of La Roche-sur-Yon. Today, his legacy is preserved through his works, which continue to be appreciated for their charm and their ability to evoke emotions linked to their Vendée expression. His paintings were exhibited in Poitiers in 1984, as part of an exhibition dedicated to Vendée painters. In 2013, at the initiative of his granddaughter, the Galerie des Riaux in Les Sables d'Olonne presented 64 of his paintings. Gabriel Augizau found his audience, and even today collectors and art lovers continue to appreciate and acquire his canvases.
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