GUSTAVE LOISEAU, (1865-1935)

Falaises de Fécamp, Normandie

Falaises de Fécamp, Normandie
signed 'G. Loiseau' (lower left)
oil on canvas
23 13/16 x 28 3/4 in (60.5 x 70.3 cm)
Painted in 1920

The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Didier Imbert. This work will be included in the forthcoming Gustave Loiseau catalogue raisonné, currently being prepared.

Provenance
Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris, photo no. 9356 (acquired directly from the artist on June 16, 1920).
Acquavella Galleries, New York (acquired from the above on March 5, 1967).
Eleanor and Lee J. Grills Collection, New York; their sale, Sotheby's, New York, November 9, 1994, lot 169.
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner.

Artists have long sought to capture the power of the inherent natural beauty of northern France – in particular the dramatic coastline of Normandy. The present lot highlights the majestic cliffside through an Impressionist palette of powder blues, light greens and subtle purples, brought together through a rich painterly surface of dynamic and lively brushwork. Similar to Monet's depictions of the area, Loiseau focuses the present work on nature's power, devoid of human presence, and frames the composition by a wide never-ending expanse of sea and sky. Normandy, as an artistic subject matter, held many advantages to the preceding generation, including Delacroix, Corot, Boudin and Courbet, who all depicted the unique geologic formations of the cliffside.

Painted in 1920, Falaises de Fécamp, Normandie captures Loiseau's unique perception of the environment in front of him, capturing, in essence, the changing effects of light as it illuminates the topography and water.