René Seyssaud (16 June 1867 – 26 September 1952) was a
Provençal
Provençal may refer to:
*Of Provence, a region of France
* Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France
*''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language
*Franco-Provençal language, a distinct Roman ...
painter and is known as a precursor of
Fauvism
Fauvism /ˈfoʊvɪzm̩/ is the style of ''les Fauves'' (French language, French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the Representation (arts), repr ...
.
Biography
Seyssaud was born on 16 June 1867 in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, but spent his childhood at his ancestral home of Pezet house (
Villes-sur-Auzon
Villes-sur-Auzon (; oc, Vielas d'Auson) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Vaucluse department
The following is a list of the 151 communes of th ...
). He came from a
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019. As he showed aptitude for painting from a young age, he was first enrolled at the (1879–1883) and after the death of his father in 1885, he joined the , where his master was
Pierre Grivolas
Pierre Grivolas (2 September 1823, Avignon - 5 February 1906, Avignon) was a French painter; known for landscapes, portraits and genre scenes.
Biography
After displaying an early talent for drawing, his parents enrolled him in art classes. In ...
.
Noted for his powerful temperament and his bold, brightly coloured palette, Seyssaud together with Louis Valtat has been described as a precursor of
Fauvism
Fauvism /ˈfoʊvɪzm̩/ is the style of ''les Fauves'' (French language, French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the Representation (arts), repr ...
. His first major exhibition was at the
Salon des Indépendants
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
in Paris in 1892. He then opened the
Salon d'Automne
The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The ...
and the Salon des Tuileries.
His marriage on 11 January 1899 to Louise Philibert gave him the opportunity to settle in
Villes-sur-Auzon
Villes-sur-Auzon (; oc, Vielas d'Auson) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Vaucluse department
The following is a list of the 151 communes of th ...
, where he chose Mont Ventoux and the gorges of the Nesque as his pictorial themes. On 27 April 1901, François Thiébault-Sisson wrote in ''Le Temps'' about Seyssaud:
Suffering from tuberculosis, his doctors advised Seyssaud to move closer to the sea and in 1904 he moved to
Saint-Chamas
Saint-Chamas (in Provençal Occitan: ''Sanch Amàs'' in classical orthography, ''Sant Chamas'' according to Mistralian orthography) is a commune in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern Fra ...
, where his studio overlooked the
Étang de Berre
The Étang de Berre (in Provençal Occitan: ''estanh de Bèrra / mar de Bèrra'' according to classical orthography, ''estang de Berro / mar de Berro'' according to Mistralian orthography) is a brackish water lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of ...
. He lived there until his death. Still, Seyssaud often came back to the foot of the Ventoux and in the mid-1930s, he set up a studio in Aurel. His cousins Jean, the twins Paul and Philippe, came there to meet him and, following his example, took up painting and made a name for themselves.
Seyssaud died in
Saint-Chamas
Saint-Chamas (in Provençal Occitan: ''Sanch Amàs'' in classical orthography, ''Sant Chamas'' according to Mistralian orthography) is a commune in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern Fra ...
on 26 September 1952. His features are preserved in the portrait painted by and kept by the in Saint-Chamas.
Work
Seyssaud is best known for his still lifes, his landscapes and the display of peasant life. His work was especially inspired by the Provençal landscape. In the Provence, the village of Villes-sur-Auzon, a Vaucluse village, and Saint-Chamas, near the Etang de Berre, were his main sources of inspiration.
*
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...
** ''Les Oliviers, oil on canvas, 100.0 x 81.3 cm, 1898
*
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon is a museum of fine arts opened in 1787 in Dijon, France. It is one of the main and oldest museums of France. It is located in the historic city centre of Dijon and housed in the former ducal palace which was ...
:
** ''Portrait d'enfant'', oil on canvas, 45 x 36,5 cm, 1890.
** ''Raisins et figues'', oil on canvas, vers 1909.
*
** ''Paysans au travail'', oil on canvas, 81 × 59 cm, non datée
** ''L’Etang de Berre''
*
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the list of ...
,
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
** ''La Route'', oil on canvas, 32 x 49,3 cm, 1901
Recognition
* 1946: Officer of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
* 1952: Grand Prix d'Honneur des Provinces Francaises at the Menton Biennale
Exhibitions
* (""): 30 April 2022 – 2 October 2022
* Musée des beaux Arts de Nîmes (""): 15 July 2020 – 17 January 2021
* (""): 14 July 2012 – 18 November 2012
* Musée de Région Auguste Chabaud, Graveson: 14 April 2012 – 1 July 2012
* Chapelle Saint-Pierre, Saint Chamas (""): 7 June 2008 – 29 July 2008
* , Martigues (""): 5 November 2003 – 28 January 2004