Jean Rigaud, Abbey of Sorde, 1943, Oil on Board, Framed

Oil on panel “Sorde Abbey” Jean Rigaud, Impressionism 1943 – France

Wonderful oil on canvas made in France in 1943. It is a view of the Sorde Abbey (Sorde L’Abbaye), south of the Landes, made by Jean Rigaud (1912–1999). Impressionist in style, it represents the appreciated Benedictine abbey founded at the end of the 10th century. The angled perspective provides verisimilitude to the composition as well as the studied colors. The magnificent church stands powerful, with its straight and firm lines.

The use of soft colors results in a view of great harmony: ocher, yellow, catmium red and white, which triumph against the gray-blue sky. The result brings calm to the viewer contemplating the scene. In the lower right area, signature and date of the author. Original frame from the time.

Impressionism, born in France in the last third of the 19th century, was an artistic movement defined essentially through painting. It was mainly characterized because its maximum aspiration was to capture the light of a specific moment in the works, for which it used a disintegrated, material and very fast brushstroke.

Thanks to technical and scientific advances, which allowed the creation of new pigments, the use of pure colors also expanded. with them, a purity and saturation of colors that was unthinkable until now was achieved. Complementary colors also became fundamental, along with the type of brushstroke and the total absence of drawing. For this same reason, shadows went from including black in their composition to being called “colored shadows”, mixing complementary colors to darken them without the need for black. This also helped create a greater sense of depth. This work exemplifies many of the characteristics of the style.

Bibliography

Jean Rigaud was born in 1912 (Bordeaux) and was the son of the painter Pierre Gaston Rigaud (1874-1939), from whom he learned the first painting techniques. At only 12 years old, in 1925 he was invited to exhibit his works at the Salon d’Art Ancien Espagnol in Paris, where he became a regular. Jean also continued his formal education at the Paris School of Fine Arts at the Atelier André Dewambez. He began to develop his unique impressionistic style and techniques, focusing on the sea, landscape and towns.

Throughout he exhibited his work in the main salons of Paris, which included the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Salon “Comparaisons”, Salon du Dessin et de la Peinture a l’eau and the Salon de la Marina. Rigaud also exhibited his works in Casablanca, New York and Strasbourg. He received a Gold Medal at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1937, the Prize of Maritime Messengers in 1952, the Prize of Morocco in 1953, and the Prize of Charles Cottet in 1957, as well as “Painter of the French Navy” in 1956.

Jean Rigaud’s works appear in many private and public collections around the world. His paintings are also permanently exhibited in the National Museum of Paris, the Musée de la Marine, Musée de Niort, Musée de Tours, Musée de Poitiers, Musée Mulhouse, Musée Chalet, Musée Pontoise and Musée Strasbourg. Jean Rigaud died in 1999 in Paris.

Technique on support: Oil on board
Title of the work: “Sorde Abbey”
Author: Jean Rigaud
Style: Impressionism
Year: 1943
Country of origin: France
Good condition based on age and use.
Overall dimensions: 76 x 67 cm.
Dimensions without frame: 54 x 45 cm. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution