Marseille – Joseph Odde – Still Life: Return From Fishing – Oil On Panel – Signed

Joseph ODDE (19th–20th century)
“Still Life at the Bar, Sea Urchins and a Demijohn,” late 19th–early 20th century
Oil on wood panel, composed of three horizontal planks
Signed “J. Odde” lower left
69 x 47.5 cm — 78.5 x 58 cm with frame
Good overall condition (see “Condition” section)
Wooden frame with gilded stucco leaf decoration, late 19th–early 20th century

A sea bass resting on a stone table, its mouth open, its body still glistening. The fish has just been pulled from the water, and the painter set to work without delay.

It is the most Provençal subject imaginable. The sea bass—or “loup,” as it’s called in Marseille—takes up the entire diagonal of the panel. Odde painted the scales with small, thick strokes of white and pearly gray, so that the light truly catches the fish’s surface when viewed from an angle. The gill slit is open, revealing the red of the gills, and the translucent pectoral fin lies flat against the side. The tail, almost black, stands out against the dark background.

All around are the elements of a fishing haul. On the left, a few small silvery fish—sardines or anchovies—mingled with seaweed and a wicker basket. On the right, sea urchins, one of which is open, revealing its orange coral, the only bright spot in the painting. In the background, a green glass demijohn, its round, shiny belly caught in the mesh of a dark net.
The entire scene is painted in a very limited palette of deep browns and greens, against which the white of the fish stands out all the more. This is a serious work, the product of a painter who knows his subject and takes pleasure in rendering the materials: the glass, the tortoiseshell, the wicker, and the spines of the sea urchin.

The format is generous, and the panel—with its three joined boards and reinforcements on the back—bears witness to the work of an old workshop.

Condition
Good overall condition. The panel has an open crack along the joint between the middle and bottom boards, visible on the front across the entire width. This wood movement, common in old assembled panels, is original and has stabilized: the back retains its original reinforcements—a vertical crossbar and eight dowels glued across the joints—which hold the entire structure securely in place.

Some scuffing in the paint layer, primarily in the backgrounds. The signature is clearly legible. The frame is in good condition, with normal wear on the gilding.

The Artist
Joseph Odde was a painter from Marseille active between the late 19th century and the interwar period. He belongs to that generation of the Provençal school that tirelessly painted the coastline between Marseille, Cassis, and La Ciotat: the harbor, the Corniche, the calanques, and the hinterland.

In addition to these landscapes, he left behind a collection of still lifes that are among his most sought-after works today—still lifes of game, but above all of seafood: lobsters, oysters, and fish. These are subjects that a painter from the Vieux-Port saw every day.

His works regularly appear at public auctions in the Midi region, particularly in Marseille and Avignon. Precise biographical details (dates of birth and death, education, participation in the Salons) remain poorly documented to this day.

Work on view at the gallery (07240)
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