Robert Dessales-quentin (1885-1958) Terrasson, Rue Margontier

Robert DESSALES-QUENTIN
(Brantôme 1885 - 1958)
Terrasson, Margontier Street
Watercolor
H. 50 cm; W. 32 cm
Signed lower right

Robert Dessales-Quentin was born in one of the most beautiful villages in France: Brantôme, nicknamed the Venice of the Périgord, as it is situated on the banks of the Dronne, a river that became a natural defense by encircling the town. This small town in northern Périgord was the artist's playground throughout his life. At the age of four, he completely lost his hearing as a result of treatment ill-suited to his intolerance to quinine, which was then unknown. His father, a notary in Brantôme, decided to send him quickly to Paris where he would pursue his studies at the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes. Aware of his artistic inclinations, his parents enrolled him at the Académie Julian, in the studio of the renowned Jean-Paul Laurens. A man of refined taste and deeply attached to his native region, Dessales-Quentin naturally gravitated towards landscapes rather than the history painting for which his studies had prepared him. He quickly returned to the Périgord region and found his niche in depicting local heritage. Castles, stately homes, churches, and cityscapes were exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris starting in 1909. He was most at ease with watercolor, even receiving a Grand Mention Honorable at the Salon in 1928, a rare achievement for this medium. In oil painting, he went through several distinct periods and styles, notably a period that could be called "wisteria," due to the recurring presence of this plant in his paintings between the two world wars. A drawing teacher for over fifteen years at the prestigious Saint-Joseph Institution in Périgueux, and in his studio on Rue du Plantier, he was known by his students as "the brilliant left-hander." It was in this studio that Dessales-Quentin welcomed the entire Périgord community each year for a highly anticipated exhibition of his work. Accustomed to the old stone buildings of Périgord, he nevertheless remained open to exploring other cultures. Corrèze would be a frequent stop on his travels, as would the Basque Country, both French and Spanish. He exhibited his works in numerous French cities, traces of which we regularly find through the familiar labels on the back of the watercolors and their original frames. If this location hadn't been indicated by the painter on the back of the mount, it wouldn't have been easy to identify. Someone familiar with Terrasson would have recognized this distinctive house, situated at the intersection of two streets, with a roof reminiscent of a helmet. Our large sheet of paper must date from the 1920s, a period when the artist still used rather earthy tones.