Beautiful representation of a river through a rocky gorge and wooded landscape at sunset, in the style of Barbizon School painters.
French landscape artist, Louis-Alexandre Cabié was born November 15, 1853 in Dol-de-Bretagne (department of Ille-et-Vilaine), son of a policeman stationed in this town and a homemaker. He moved to Bordeaux around 1870, where he was a student of Leopold Thénot (decorative painter), Hyppolite Pradelles and later Henri Harpignies with whom he painted landscapes in the gorges of Allier and Aumance. Like his friend the painter Louis Auguin, he was influenced by Corot, Courbet and Rousseau in their choice of subjects, but his compositions were more audacious and personalized. He opened his own studio and taught, among other Bordeaux painters, Louis Marius Gueit and François-Max Bugnicourt. He exhibited regularly in a number of salons from 1879, obtaining a number awards at the Paris Salon in 1894, 1899, 1902, etc. He lived in Paris between 1903 and 1919, where he was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1908. His landscapes mainly represent scenes of Dordogne, Brittany, Bordeaux, Les Landes, the island of Noirmoutier, Charente and Carcassonne.
His style changed little and he never became an impressionist painter. He remained immune to all the avant-garde movements and died in oblivion. His considerable oeuvre is however highly appreciated, as evidenced by the auction results. His paintings are also on display in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris as well as in most museums in western and southwestern France (Bordeaux, Alençon, Angers, Cognac, Libourne, Périgueaux, Tolon, Saintes and Castres) and many private collections. It is therefore surprising that his work has yet to be the subject of more detailed academic study.
Following his Parisian period, Louis Cabié lived in Bordeaux where he died on Feb
ruary 26, 1939 at the age of 85. He was buried in the Chartreuse cemetery.
Sources: Archives de France; Benezit, Dictionary of Artists; Jean-Roger Soubiran, Les peintres Bordelais ; Gérard Schurr & Pierre Cabanne, Dictionnaire des Petits-Maîtres de la peinture.
Artist: Louis-Alexandre Cabié (1853-1939).
Signed and dated in bottom right corner.
Medium: Oil on board glued to canvas.
Condition: Excellent condition.
Dimensions: 38 x 46 cm. / 15 x 18 in.
Frame: 53 x 61 cm / 21 x 24 in. Gilt wood with minor imperfections. Good overall condition. Museum label on frame with artist’s name.
Origin: France.