Louis Cabié (1853–1939) The Banks Of The Charente River Near Cognac

Louis-Alexandre CABIÉ
(Dol-de-Bretagne 1853 – Bordeaux 1939)
The Banks of the Charente River near Cognac
Oil on panel
H. 36.5 cm; W. 52 cm
Signed lower right, dated 1894

Provenance: Private collection, Bordeaux

Louis Cabié, a renowned artist in France—and particularly in the Bordeaux region—even during his lifetime, traveled throughout the greater Southwest throughout his life. A student of Harpignies, whose passion for vegetation in the style of the Barbizon School is evident in his work, he continued to capture the simplicity of picturesque French landscapes until his death. Spectacular trees, forest scenes, places steeped in history, enchanting valleys, or even a landscape in its most unadorned state—he knew how to bring out their vital contrasts. 

In 1893, Louis-Alexandre Cabié explored the banks of the Charente in all kinds of weather and throughout the different seasons. We find more than a dozen panels of the same format, in which a group of poplars, lined up along the riverbank, regularly appears. In 1894 and then in 1895, Cabié produced two new series of landscapes from the Cognac area. These would be the only three years he spent creating art in this area. In several paintings, we can make out a bridge further downstream—the Châtenay Bridge—in the former commune of Châtenay, now part of Cognac in the Charente region. The previous year, Cabié painted, among other works, a view of the Charente River at Châtenay, which he gave to his friend Paul Berthelot, an author, journalist, and newspaper editor in Bordeaux. Berthelot bequeathed this painting to the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux, which owns it today.

Please feel free to ask us for images of other paintings depicting this location.

We are seeking any works or information related to the artist to complete his biography as well as a catalogue raisonné currently being compiled.