{"product_id":"the-garden-near-cailhau-by-achille-lauge","title":"The Garden Near Cailhau by Achille Laugé","description":"Achille Laugé\u003cbr\u003e 1861-1944 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Garden Near Cailhau\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Signed \"A. Laugé 96\" (lower left)\u003cbr\u003e Oil on canvas \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Laugé’s art is one of great sensitivity and controlled reason; he is a master of light.” — Antoine Bourdelle, French Artist, Esteemed Peer, June 1927 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This incredible work by Achille Laugé entitled \u003cem\u003eThe Garden Near Cailhau\u003c\/em\u003e showcases the masterful artist at his very best. During his lifetime, Achille Laugé was celebrated by his peers and the public alike for producing dazzling works with subtly divided southern light, pure tones and rigorous geometry. His reputation continued to grow after his death, and today the art market recognizes him as a master of Neo-Impressionism. Though his command of the pointillist and divisionist styles often draws comparison to his Neo-Impressionist peers like Seurat and Signac, Laugé approached the style with his own unique sensibility. Laugé‘s oeuvre showcases his taste for monumental, static art emphasizing rhythm, line and purity. More personally, Laugé was deeply inspired by his hometown's natural beauty and familiarity. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Garden Near Cailhau\u003c\/em\u003e depicts a quintessential scene from the artist — a touching tribute to his beloved home. Featuring a road flanked by trees and bathed in sunlight, the flowering trees that line the path merge with the pointillist dots to create a stunning visual effect. The tree-lined path recedes into the distance towards the commune of Cailhau on top of a hill. The composition masterfully combines all the principles of divisionism while staying true to Laugé’s roots. Marked by a luminous color palette and a robust paint application that causes the scene to emerge in three dimensions, it is among the finest of Laugé’s output, and the canvas remains in its original unlined state in perfect condition. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The son of a farmer, Achille Laugé initially opted for a career as a pharmacist before giving up his studies to enroll at the Toulouse School of Fine Arts in 1876. During his apprenticeship, he met Antoine Bourdelle, Henri Martin and Henri Marre, who encouraged him to go to Paris in 1882 to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. It was in Paris in the early 1890s that Laugé discovered the paintings of Seurat and Signac. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He was encouraged by Bourdelle, who told him, \"You bring a very personal vision, a great deal of serene logic and a beautiful gift of unity in the love of the luminous air that reigns even in your shadows\" — very high praise from a peer! After his sojourn to Paris, Laugé returned to his childhood home of Cailhau near Carcassonne in the Aude, establishing himself permanently in somewhat relative isolation and only exhibiting on the rare occasion at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. It was within this strategic isolation that the artist refined his point of view and honed his individual stylistic language. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Born in 1861 to wealthy farmers, he moved to Toulouse at the age of 17 to study pharmacy. At this time, he also enrolled part-time at the school of the Beaux-Arts, where he befriended the artist Bourdelle. Three years later, he moved to Paris, where he studied under the famous masters Alexandre Cabanel and Aristide Maillol, making his debut at the Salon in 1884. Like many other artists of his generation, Laugé eventually rejected the conservative ideals of this teacher, falling under the Post-Impressionist influence of Georges Seurat. By 1888, his landscapes became assiduous experiments in complementary colors and light on canvas. He exhibited three paintings at the \u003cem\u003e Salon des Indépendants\u003c\/em\u003e in 1894, as well as with the Nabis that same year. In addition, Laugé held several one-man shows in Paris, Toulouse and Perpignan from 1907 to 1930. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It was after his departure from Paris that Laugé developed his divisionist technique, following the lead of Seurat and the Pointillists. Although Laugé never adopted Seurat’s scientific attitude, his interest in the primacy and division of color resulted in work with a vivid, translucent palette. From 1888 until about 1896, Laugé composed his pictures with small points of color. At the end of the century, he abandoned the dots and dabs and painted his landscapes, portraits and still-lifes with thin, systematically placed strokes resembling crosshatching. After 1905, he applied his pigments more freely, with enlarged strokes and thick impasto that brought him closer to a traditional impressionist technique whilst maintaining his ability to paint the effect of southern light. Today, his exceptional works can be found at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and museums throughout France, including the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dated 1896 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 25 1\/2\" high x 32\" wide (64.77 x 81.28 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 31 1\/2\" high x 37 7\/8\" wide (80.01 cm x 96.2 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/rau-sfimages.s3.amazonaws.com\/dossier\/Dossier_31-8276.pdf\" target=\"new\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eView the Dossier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Acquired directly from the artist\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, Paris\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51803563589954,"sku":null,"price":985000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/5376\/6978\/files\/31-8276_1_996d3c7c-7c75-4ce6-8be1-6ccfd1983cd2.png?v=1768102691","url":"https:\/\/www.bullvendors19.com\/de\/products\/the-garden-near-cailhau-by-achille-lauge","provider":"Bull Vendors 19","version":"1.0","type":"link"}