Offered by Galerie Delvaille
French furniture of the 18th century & French figurative paintings
Oil on canvas signed lower left, circa 1880/1890
Original canvas and stretcher, giltwood frame
38 x 60 cm
A gifted artist, Ferdinand Gueldry began painting at the age of thirteen. In 1876, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, when he was only 18. This young artist's incredible technique was quickly noticed by the master of academic and orientalist master at the time, Léon Gérôme. In that same year, 1876, Gueldry and his brother Victor were members of the Société Nautique de la Marne and traveled to England for rowing competitions. It was his practice of this sport, combined with his exceptional drawing skills, that would allow Ferdinand Gueldry to become the leading artist in this field. This theme was immensely successful, as boating quickly became a fashion phenomenon among the wealthy at the end of the 19th century. By the early 1880s, Gueldry had managed to break away from his mentor Gérôme, and he began to resemble Édouard Manet.
Gueldry's hyperrealist style stems from both his academic training and Impressionist influence. A virtuoso in the treatment of water and light, Gueldry excels at capturing their reflections and vibrations. His brushstrokes are light, the tones are fresh, and the colors are powerful.
Beginning in 1885, Gueldry expanded his subject matter to include depictions of factories and working-class life. Treated in a naturalistic manner, these scenes constitute a valuable documentation of the Second Industrial Revolution. The French government acquired many of Gueldry's paintings. A remarkable illustrator, Ferdinand Gueldry was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1908 and an official painter of the French Army in 1915. During the First World War, he depicted the horrors of the trenches, including the hell of Verdun. In the 1920s, he chaired the Société Libre des Artistes Français (Free Society of French Artists).
Gueldry participated in numerous exhibitions in France and abroad, winning important prizes: the Salons des Artistes Français (French Artists' Salons) from 1889 onward, the World's Fairs of 1889 and 1900 (silver medals), and the World's Fairs of Chicago (1893), Antwerp (1894), Brussels (1897), and Saint-Louis (1904). He also exhibited in Munich (1888), Saint Petersburg (1890), Moscow (1892), etc.
In 2018, the Nogent-sur-Marne Museum organized the exhibition Ferdinand Gueldry, Painter of Water and Light. In 2024, a painting by Gueldry was chosen for the poster of the exhibition "At Play! Artists and Sport" at the Marmottan Museum in Paris.
Our Painting: This is the theme for which Gueldry is world-renowned. While many works of rowing competitions are known, depictions of recreational boating are rare. This scene is strikingly realistic, right down to the details of the rower's costumes and the elegant young woman. The rippling water and varied reflections have been treated with particular care. The axis of the river and the bank are skillfully positioned to provide the viewer with a realistic composition. This important work is in absolutely perfect condition, on its original canvas.
