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In this richly textured still life, Adeline Hugonnard presents a vivid and tactile composition of seasonal abundance. At the heart of the canvas sits a polished copper pot, its warm surface gleaming with deep red and umber reflections, a central anchor to the cascade of vibrant produce surrounding it.
The arrangement bursts with peaches, grapes, apples, and halved melons, all resting atop a red-and-white checkered cloth rendered with dynamic brushwork and expressive color. The fruit is painted with a blend of realism and impressionistic vitality: their ripeness is almost tangible, their skins dappled with light and shade.
Behind the composition, a muted, vertically textured curtain provides contrast, allowing the rich tones in the foreground to glow with warmth. Hugonnard’s characteristic undulating brushstroke is evident here, giving life and movement to the fabric folds, the fruits’ surfaces, and the glistening metal of the pot. Her command of texture and color creates a harmony between opulence and intimacy, a testament to her mastery of the still life genre.
Painted around 1960, during her later years, this work demonstrates Hugonnard’s unwavering devotion to painting, even as she lived in relative seclusion. Her choice of subject reflects a lifelong fascination with floral and natural motifs, and her expressive, almost sensual handling of paint confirms her singular voice within 20th-century French regional art.
Adeline Sophie Rosalie Hugonnard was a French painter known for her delicate and vibrant floral compositions. Born in Saint-Étienne in May 28, 1906, she lived with a congenital laryngeal deformity that rendered her deaf and mute from birth. This disability inevitably shaped the course of her life and limited the public recognition of her artistic work during her lifetime.
Demonstrating a natural talent for painting from a young age, Hugonnard pursued formal training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Saint-Étienne, where she developed a strong, self-disciplined approach to her practice. At just 19 years old, in 1925, she made her exhibition debut with five paintings presented at the Salon of the Société des Arts du Forez. Her signature style featured a subtly undulating brushstroke that lent her floral subjects a sense of rhythm and vitality.
Following the death of her father in 1940, Adeline lived with her mother until the latter’s passing. She then moved into a retirement home in Chauffailles, where the management, recognizing her dedication, arranged a small studio space for her to continue working. There, she continued to paint prolifically, sometimes on unconventional surfaces such as fabric linings, household textiles, and even mops.
Upon her death in October 1, 1987, having left no descendants, she bequeathed her remaining works and studio contents to the town of Chauffailles. Today, her legacy lives on in public collections: two of her paintings are housed at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Saint-Étienne Métropole, one is held by the Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), and several others are preserved at the Musée de la Ville de Chauffailles, located in the Château de Chauffailles.
Artist: Adeline Hugonnard (1906-1987).
Signed in the lower rigth corner.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Condition: Very good condition.
Dimensions: 65 x 81cm. / 24 x 32 in.
Frame: Unframed
Origin: France.
