Offered by Anne Besnard
This large three-masted sailing ship, under full sail, approaches us beneath a sky after a storm. A few clouds remain, tinged with amber and pink; they are slowly dispersing. The sea is still rough, and the wind fills the white sails. The soft light coming from the distance evokes twilight or early morning. The dark hull contrasts with the luminous horizon and the foam of the waves. In the distance, a second, smaller sailing ship is visible. The sea breeze seems to bring the scene to life: it transports us onto the decks of these ships and invites us to travel and adventure. The choppy sea offers a remarkable spectacle, where the immaculate crests of the waves play with emerald and blue reflections.
Pierre Godar is a painter born around 1933 in Béthune, in the Pas-de-Calais region. A follower of the Berck School and the school of painters of the Opal Coast, he depicts the daily lives of fishermen, the sea, and boats. He also produced a few portraits and, during his stays in Mougins, landscapes of southern France. He belongs to that group of painters attracted by changing light and picturesque maritime landscapes, working mainly within the traditions of plein-air painting, between Naturalism and Impressionism.
Pierre Godar is passionate about the sea, and his style is characterized by generous brushstrokes and pronounced contrasts of light. In addition to the beaches of northern France, he also paints the Breton coast, the Bay of Douarnenez, and Finistère. His studio was located on Rue Tourlaque in Montmartre, and his name is listed in the “Dictionnaire des Peintres à Montmartre”. He used the pseudonyms Y. Le Dantec, Boufis, and Y. de Kermadec.
Signed lower left Y. de Kermadec.
Oil on canvas dimensions: 56 × 100 cm.
Frame dimensions: 81 × 125 cm.
