Etienne Robert (1875-1969) Goats And Almond Trees In Bloom Near Sainte Baume

Bright and cheerful this work by the adopted Swiss but Provençal artist Etienne Robert. Certainly made around the Sainte Baume whose relief can be seen, it measures 33 cm by 41, it is titled on the back "goats and almond trees in bloom" and signed lower right. Offered unframed, but may change. Etienne Robert was Swiss, born in Le Locle in the canton of Neuchâtel on March 25, 1875, and died in Marseille at the end of July 1959, aged 84. He was the youngest of a large family, whose father owned a small farm and worked at home in the clock industry. Etienne received training in drawing, painting, and calligraphy. Probably on the advice of a friend of his, he moved to Marseille where there was then an important Swiss colony. He worked as a calligrapher in a company, on the Cannebière, and practiced painting on the motif, with other painter friends. Little by little, he made painting his main activity. He lives with his Marseille wife in a small house at the top of Boulevard Vauban, in which he has set up his workshop. Etienne Robert painted mainly Provence. With a shed at the foot of Garlaban, he shone in the countryside in search of subjects. He drew a sketch in situ, then returned to his studio to produce the final paintings. He also painted Italy, Corsica, and a little Switzerland, which he however found too green. Etienne Robert painted until the age of 84 and left behind an important production, almost exclusively devoted to landscape.