Louis Chazal – Sailors On The Pier In Concarneau, Ca. 1930 – Oil On Canvas – Signed

Louis CHAZAL
Sailors on the pier in Concarneau, circa 1930
Location identified by the registration number “C 357” on the hull of the boat moored on the left (Concarneau maritime district)
Oil on canvas
Signed “L. Chazal” in the lower right corner, with an underlined stroke
55 x 46 cm — 62 x 53 cm with frame
Very good overall condition; an old repair on the back
Modern frame made of wood stained with a bronze patina

The painter positioned himself high up, above the dock. From there, he sees everything: the man straddling a beam, the one leaning over a coil of rope, the one pulling something from a boat in the center, the one coming toward us carrying two baskets, and the tight-knit group chatting in the distance, in the shade of the large brown sails. Each is at his work, and that is precisely what gives the scene its authenticity.

All the men are dressed in the same coarse brown canvas, with dark caps—black or navy blue felt—and clogs on their feet. This was the work attire of sailors of the time, and Chazal depicts it without emphasizing it, as if it were a given.

The composition is built around two clusters of sails that frame the scene—a light-colored sail on the left, two dark sails and a reddish one on the right—leaving a gap of green water in the center through which a sardine boat sails at full speed. In the distance, two small sails dot the horizon. The sky is mauve and pale gray, with a single band of illuminated clouds; shadows stretch across the dock. It is late in the day.

The color palette is what gives the painting its charm: the warm brown of the clothing echoes the reddish sail and stands out against the green water of the basin. Chazal paints with tight, even brushstrokes, without any special effects, using a slightly dry texture that catches the light. On the green hull of the boat moored on the left, he has taken care to include the registration number: C 357. The “C” stands for the maritime district of Concarneau, and it identifies the location just as clearly as an inscription on the back of the painting.

The sardine rowboats under sail and the sailors’ attire place the scene in the interwar period or shortly thereafter, before sailing completely disappeared from the Concarneau fleet.
Condition: Canvas in very good condition, with no noticeable cracking. An old repair on the back addresses a small tear, barely visible on the front. Original stretcher, in standard 10 Figure format. Modern frame, in perfect condition.

The Artist
Louis Chazal (20th century), painter of maritime Brittany. His known body of work is almost entirely devoted to southern Finistère and Morbihan: the port of Concarneau and its sardine fishermen, Douarnenez Bay as seen from Telgruc, the stone bridge over the Blavet River in Hennebont, the religious festivals (“pardons”), and scenes of activity in front of the chapels. Several of his paintings have been sold at public auction under these titles.

Biographical details about him—dates, training, participation in the Salons—have not been found to date. His work links him to that generation of painters who, from the 1920s to the 1950s, continued to use Concarneau and Douarnenez as their open-air studios, following in the footsteps of the Concarneau School.

Work on view at the gallery (07240)
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