Marius Gueit (1877–1956) Beynac And The Dordogne As Seen From Castelnaud

Louis Marius GUEIT
(1877–1956)
The Dordogne and Beynac as Seen from Castelnaud
Oil on canvas
H. 81 cm; W. 73 cm
Signed lower right, dated 1946

Provenance: Private collection, Bordeaux

A student of the two great regional landscape painters, Louis Cabié and Auguin, the young Marius Gueit began his career as a decorative painter in Bordeaux, where he learned the techniques suited to large-scale works. The saying “It is easy to paint small when you know how to paint large” rings especially true here, as the landscape painter, who was enamored with the Landes region, went on to become the painter of pine trees in postcard-sized formats. Nevertheless, he continued to paint the entire region in various formats until the end of his career, fueled by regional and national acclaim at the various art shows where he exhibited regularly. Gueit is still regarded as the painter of pine trees, the Arcachon Basin, and the Landes de Gascogne.

His visits to the Périgord were frequent, and views of the Périgord Noir appear regularly in his work. Condat-sur-Vézère, Coly, the banks of the Dordogne at La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud, and Beynac are all evidence of his visits, from which compositions in all sizes emerged.

This large canvas depicting the Périgord is executed in a rather distinctive, very grainy texture on a thick-woven canvas. Painted ten years before the artist’s death, shortly after the war, it depicts a view from the high cliffs of Castelnaud overlooking the Dordogne, extending toward the Fayrac Bridge and the “enemy” fortress of Beynac.