Albert Heckenhauer (1892–1982) Chancelade – The Forecourt Of The Périgueux Abbey Church, Dordogne

Albert HECKENHAUER
(Strasbourg 1892 – Paris 1982)
The Forecourt of the Chancelade Abbey Church
Oil on canvas
H. 46 cm; W. 38 cm
Signed lower left. Located, dated, and countersigned on the reverse.
1945

Provenance: Private collection, Alsace

Albert Heckenhauer’s work remains relatively unknown, even in Alsace, where he lived and worked for most of his life.

During World War II, like many of his compatriots, he sought refuge in the Dordogne when his native region was annexed by Germany.

Was he a professional painter? An art teacher? There is insufficient information to know for certain.
Nevertheless, the works known to exist in French museums date from 1935 through the late 1940s and consist mainly of a body of works from the Périgord region created around 1943–45.
They primarily depict Château l’Évêque, Chancelade, and Périgueux, ranging from architectural sketches to more detailed watercolors and even—as in our view of the abbey church—a fully realized oil painting.

The gatehouse of Chancelade and the adjoining dwelling are depicted from the most interesting angle, highlighting the angles of the roofs, the pediment, and the various openings in the walls. The tree in the foreground—certainly a linden tree that no longer stands—suggests a view from late spring or summer.