Gardais - Chateau d’angers

GARDAIS CH.
– The Moats of Angers Castle
– 1960
Large oil on canvas signed and dated, depicting the ramparts of Angers Castle with three deer in the foreground.
Beautiful and original figurative painting from the mid-20th century representing the moats of Angers Castle.
The artist chose a very close and spectacular viewpoint of the imposing circular towers of the castle.
The stone walls occupy a large part of the composition and are animated by numerous painterly touches in tones of blue, gray, green, ochre, yellow and red, giving a lot of texture and relief to the whole.
In the foreground, three deer, including a magnificent stag with its antlers, add a naturalistic and picturesque dimension to the scene. The blue sky, streaked with white clouds and a few birds, creates a bright contrast with the dark walls of the castle.
The execution is particularly interesting in the details:
- the stones are worked with small colored touches, while the vegetation is treated in a freer and more expressive manner.
The whole has a beautiful decorative presence thanks to its large vertical format.
Signature and date
The work is signed at the bottom right:
« GARDAIS . CH. »
and bears the date:
« 27.1.1960 »
An inscription also appears at the bottom of the composition:
« ANGERS – LES DOUVES DU CHÂTEAU »
The exact identity of the artist remains to be confirmed. The painting is therefore presented in a deliberately cautious manner under the attribution GARDAIS CH., without any assertion that it is Raoul Gardais.
Characteristics
Artist: Gardais CH.
Title: Angers – The Moats of the Castle
Technique: oil on canvas
Signature: GARDAIS . CH.
Date: 27 January 1960
Subject: Angers Castle, moats and deer
Era: 20th century, 1960
Dimensions with frame: approximately 113 × 77 cm
Frame: substantial gilded wooden frame
Orientation: vertical
Condition:
The work shows normal signs of age, notably on the frame and the reverse. The painting nevertheless retains a strong presence and a visibly rich pictorial material.
The back shows an old canvas mounted on a wooden stretcher with crossbar, as well as an old hanging system.
The photographs precisely show the conservation state and the various details of the work.
Interest
A large-scale painting, signed and dated, devoted to an emblematic historic monument of Angers.
Its original subject combining medieval architecture and deer, its colorful palette and its very personal execution make it a decorative and interesting piece for a collector of French 20th-century painting, of Angevin landscapes, or of French architectural heritage.
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