Galerie Emeric Hahn Oil on canvas and oil on panel - Trois femmes

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Three Women H/T 200 x 139 cm This gamelin painting shows us that there are still discoveries to be made about the artist: what was his destination, his sponsors? This work, of a rare format for the artist: 200 x 139 cm, has yet passed into oblivion! The painting is unpublished, in none of the works on the artist there is any reference, neither on this painting, nor on a possible decoration in which it could have integrated. It was never exhibited at the salons in Toulouse or in 1938 in Carcassonne. He certainly left the noon area very early. The painting has reappeared in the North-East of France. The only historical element we have is that this painting belonged to the collection of the Toulouse painter Joseph ROQUES 1754-1847 or that of his son Guillaume ROQUES (Toulouse 1778-1848) painter himself. When Gamelin left Montpellier in 1783 for Narbonne it was Joseph ROQUES (Toulouse 1754-1847) who succeeded him as director of the Montpellier Academy, he later formed the young Ingres from 1791 to 1797 and with whom he remained in an excellent relationship. Ingres called him his true master. We can date the work Probably from its Montpellier period 1780-1783, by origin, but also by its style, this painting is close to those dated from that time where we know, Gamelin works in the hotel decoration of Montpellier. Gamelin usually reserves his large paintings with religious compositions for churches. Here probably, because of these dimensions and traces of a whirling frame, the painting was intended for the decoration of a mansion. It had to be integrated into a set of several paintings of more or less identical heights. I doubt that such a package was completed and put in place, without any comment on it, has reached us. Has this project been abandoned? The subject also evokes a private decoration. A subject?aimable? again rather rare in Gamelin, certainly drawn from the novelistic literature. The lack of attribute of the characters does not guide us much for the identification of the subject. It shows in a landscape without architecture, three characters dressed in the antique: two standing entwined, one of them accosted to a rock, on the left side of the painting, on the right, a woman sits the three actors of the scene have their feet in the water of a stream. At first glance it is three women, one can see a bath of Diane, although no distinctive element of it: bow, dog or crescent moon, is present in the painting. However, a doubt remains, it is not excluded that the figure standing to the left of the painting is a man, the subject can then be the farewell of Narcissus and Echo near the source. The woman on the right takes up a classic iconography of the springs, Narcissus on the left looks her in the eye as if to reflect herself, disdaining Echo. The rock on which Narcissus is leaning, evokes the sad end of Echo, who will let himself wither with sorrow. Gamelin wanted to represent the beauty of Narcissus, hence the ambiguity of the young and late face of it. When we know the richness of Gamelin's sources of inspiration other hypotheses are possible... As for the central character in the painting? Echo? his wife, Giulia Tridix, whom he married on 4 May 1771 in Rome, is recognized. The composition is carefully crafted. The group of characters occupies the entire width of the painting in a classic pyramidal composition, where the subtle play of hands and feet is skilfully organized along lines converging towards the sky and the stream denoting the two consecutive elements of life: Air and water. The material is also rich and subtle with glazes and acidic colors so characteristic, such as pink and orange yellow, contrary to some great composition? to which Gamelin does not bring the finish of his paintings? In this painting we find all the qualities of the master of Carcass who strives to develop all his know-how.

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Features

• Country : FRANCE
• Designer : Jacques GAMELIN
• Year of creation : 1783