André Prugent (1882–1965) Sunken Road, Périgueux, Dordogne, Périgord

André PRUGENT
(Périgueux 1882–1965)
The Sunken Path
Oil on cardboard
H. 38 cm; W. 55 cm
Signed lower right, dated 1962

Provenance: Private collection, Périgord

During his childhood in the capital of the Périgord region, André Prugent attended the city’s art school, which was directed in the late 19th century by Jean-Louis Daniel. Quickly becoming his favorite student, this leading figure of the Périgueux school was sure to guide him—following his rapid progress—to the Salon des Artistes Français, where he would exhibit for the first time at the age of 18.

After being called to arms during World War I, Prugent returned to his hometown, where he was regularly accompanied on outings to paint from life by Emile Chaumont, André Saigne, Gustave Chérifel, and others. This young generation would generally meet in the afternoons, while Prugent left the reins of the family store to his wife. This store was, in fact, the go-to supply source for the region’s painters, as it carried the paints, canvases, and other art supplies they needed. The display windows of this shop, located on Rue de la Clarté in Périgueux, also served as a permanent exhibition space for the painter’s latest works.

Enamored with the nearby regions of the Isle Valley, the names Chancelade, Champcevinel, and Bassillac appear repeatedly in the painter’s works. The very simple supports that André Prugent used often defined the artist’s style, which some compared to Cézanne’s during his lifetime. Thick weaves of canvas and flexible cardboard, combined with broad and sometimes very thick brushstrokes, gave his works a lively character.

In 1929, he was admitted as a member of the Artistes Français and continued to exhibit at the Salon until the outbreak of World War II. However, he continued to exhibit in various French cities and saw his local work culminate in a retrospective exhibition at the Palais des Fêtes in Périgueux, where oil paintings, pastels, watercolors, and woodcuts were displayed together in 1965, the year before his death.

We have noticed several works signed and dated in English. This fact remains unexplained today, and we invite you to contact us if you have any information that might shed light on the matter.

Chemin Creux. This is the title of many of Prugent’s paintings created on the hills above Périgueux. However, this particular piece has something distinctive about its composition and color palette. The vivid colors blend into a central spiral formed by the path. A symbolist touch...