Auguste Chabaud (1882–1955) — Zinc Corner, Circa 1907
Artist: Auguste Chabaud (1882-1955)
Auguste Chabaud (1882–1955)
Zinc Corner, circa 1907
Ink on paper
48 x 31 cm
Born in Nîmes in 1882, Auguste Chabaud entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Avignon at the age of just 15, where he was trained by Pierre Grivolas, a renowned master who had previously taught René Seyssaud. At the dawn of the 20th century, he moved to Paris, but preferred the vibrancy of the cafés in the Latin Quarter to Cormon’s academic lessons. It was in these lively settings that his eye was honed, nourished by the spectacle of daily life, forging a personal, incisive, and modern artistic style. Parisian nightlife fascinated Chabaud. The city’s artificial lights stimulated his palette: they drew out powerful tones and contrasts pushed to the extreme. But his native South of France, with its blazing sun, called to him.
Unlike other Provençal painters who celebrated light, Chabaud perceived an absorbing light that swallowed up color rather than revealing it. He inherited a darker vision, in the tradition of Émile Loubon, Monticelli, and Prosper Grésy. Upon returning to his family’s farmhouse in Graveson, Chabaud turned away from cabarets and brothel girls to observe rural life. He now painted peasants, herds, and farmwork with the same intensity he had previously devoted to urban life. The draft horse replaced the horse-drawn carriage; sensuality gave way to rustic simplicity. This evolution also marked a shift in perspective: a disconnected and cynical world gave way to an ancestral rural order, tied to the seasons, the nourishing earth, and the rhythm of life. This strict framework became the foundation of his art, serving as both a constraint and a source of inspiration. In Chabaud’s paintings, the limited palette intensifies the tension: a deep blue, sharp blacks, and grayish whites, all conveying raw emotion. Far removed from Provençal folklore, his work stands out for its rugged modernity and instinctive truth. Chabaud does not paint to seduce: he paints life, in its harshness, its beauty, and its organic mystery. His work, humble in appearance, expresses a profound ambition: to probe primary impulses, to evoke sexuality as a vital force, and death as an inescapable horizon.
In January 2014, the Alexis Pentcheff Gallery dedicated a major retrospective exhibition to him: “Auguste Chabaud: The Instinct for Life,” paying tribute to a singular artist, independent of trends, whose paintings continue to resonate with rare power.
Discover more works by this artist on the gallery’s website: https://www.galeriepentcheff.fr/fr/peintre-auguste-chabaud#Oeuvres
Zinc Corner, circa 1907
Ink on paper
48 x 31 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Paris
Exhibition:
Auguste Chabaud, L'instinct de vie, Galerie Alexis Pentcheff, October 17–November 15, 2014, reproduced in the exhibition catalog as no. 09, p. 22.
Certificate of authenticity issued by Mr. Patrice Leoni, the artist’s great-grandson, dated November 7, 2021.
Auguste Chabaud – Between Rural Provence and Pictorial ModernityBorn in Nîmes in 1882, Auguste Chabaud entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Avignon at the age of just 15, where he was trained by Pierre Grivolas, a renowned master who had previously taught René Seyssaud. At the dawn of the 20th century, he moved to Paris, but preferred the vibrancy of the cafés in the Latin Quarter to Cormon’s academic lessons. It was in these lively settings that his eye was honed, nourished by the spectacle of daily life, forging a personal, incisive, and modern artistic style. Parisian nightlife fascinated Chabaud. The city’s artificial lights stimulated his palette: they drew out powerful tones and contrasts pushed to the extreme. But his native South of France, with its blazing sun, called to him.
Unlike other Provençal painters who celebrated light, Chabaud perceived an absorbing light that swallowed up color rather than revealing it. He inherited a darker vision, in the tradition of Émile Loubon, Monticelli, and Prosper Grésy. Upon returning to his family’s farmhouse in Graveson, Chabaud turned away from cabarets and brothel girls to observe rural life. He now painted peasants, herds, and farmwork with the same intensity he had previously devoted to urban life. The draft horse replaced the horse-drawn carriage; sensuality gave way to rustic simplicity. This evolution also marked a shift in perspective: a disconnected and cynical world gave way to an ancestral rural order, tied to the seasons, the nourishing earth, and the rhythm of life. This strict framework became the foundation of his art, serving as both a constraint and a source of inspiration. In Chabaud’s paintings, the limited palette intensifies the tension: a deep blue, sharp blacks, and grayish whites, all conveying raw emotion. Far removed from Provençal folklore, his work stands out for its rugged modernity and instinctive truth. Chabaud does not paint to seduce: he paints life, in its harshness, its beauty, and its organic mystery. His work, humble in appearance, expresses a profound ambition: to probe primary impulses, to evoke sexuality as a vital force, and death as an inescapable horizon.
In January 2014, the Alexis Pentcheff Gallery dedicated a major retrospective exhibition to him: “Auguste Chabaud: The Instinct for Life,” paying tribute to a singular artist, independent of trends, whose paintings continue to resonate with rare power.
Discover more works by this artist on the gallery’s website: https://www.galeriepentcheff.fr/fr/peintre-auguste-chabaud#Oeuvres
7 000 €
Period: 20th century
Style: Modern Art
Condition: Good condition
Length: 48
Width: 31
Reference (ID): 1824467
Availability: In stock
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