Fortuné Car (1905-1971) - Rivière en provence

Fortuné Car (1905–1970), signed “Roustin,” a pseudonym used by the artist
Oil on canvas
33 x 41 cm
Signed at the bottom right

Fortuné Car was born in 1905 in Marseille and died in 1970. He was a famous Provençal artist, born into a family where painting is passed down from generation to generation. In the 1930s, he took over his uncle's workshop, a theatre decorator. This large workshop allowed him to create scenery for theatres and performance venues in the region, notably the Opéra de Marseille. In 1939, mobilized, Fortuné Car entrusted his workshop to his younger brother. On his return, he abandoned theatre-set painting to turn to easel painting. In this Old Port district, he quickly found his path in the Provençal painting vein, with landscapes of the hinterland, small ports of the coast and scenes of fishermen. His painting, strong and colorful, enriched with a beautiful texture born from his mastery of the brush and especially the knife, gradually exhibited throughout France. His image as a painter of Provence also spread abroad, particularly to Canada, where Fortuné Car was a member of the Royal Academy of Painting in Montreal.