Marcel Fournier (1900–1979) *the Window: Still Life*

Marcel FOURNIER
(Périgueux 1900 – Trélissac 1979) 
The Window
Oil on hardboard
H. 46 cm; W. 38 cm
Signed lower right. Signed and titled on the back.

A schoolteacher in Chancelade from 1923 to 1960, Marcel Fournier—before becoming a painter—was deeply passionate about the Périgord region. He was passionate about its history, its landscapes, and especially its language, which he would champion throughout his life, just as another painter before him had done: Jean-Louis Daniel.

A member of the Félibre movement since 1917, he was elected “majoral” in 1942 and served as president of the Bournat from 1945 to 1975. This charismatic figure of the Occitan community in the Périgord promoted the department’s culture through numerous events and publications. A singer, writer, poet, painter, and actor, Majoral Fournier left his mark on Occitan culture in every way.

Whereas Fournier had accustomed us to vivid landscapes during his last twenty years of painting, here we are somewhat taken aback by his softer tones and lighter touch.
The still life, brilliantly rendered here, is titled “The Window .” This glazed pot, typical of the Périgord region, holds a flowering geranium, complemented in the foreground by a few apples and peppers arranged on a floral tablecloth or oilcloth—the sort we love so much in our countryside. In the frame opening onto the landscape, we see a pond in front of which a woman in a straw hat appears to be standing—an almost indistinct silhouette that adds a bit more intrigue to this beautiful composition.