Lakeside. Sailing boats.

ARTIST: Gaston DARBOUR
TECHNIQUE : Watercolor
TIME : XXth century
DIMENSIONS: 20.5 x 12.5 cm at sight. With frame: 31.5 x 23.5 cm

EXEMPLAIRE : Original work signed lower left
Gaston Charles Guillaume Darbour was born in Sedan, in the Ardennes, in 1869. His artistic vocation was evident from an early age: at 14, inspired by illustrations, he announced to his parents his desire to become an artist. Unconvinced, they sent him to Germany, Austria and England to discourage him. However, at the age of 20, he enrolled at the École des Arts Décoratifs, then went on to study at the Beaux-Arts with Jules Lefebvre and Jean Benjamin-Constant. He would later judge these studies to be "useless".
The turning point in his career came when a friend introduced him to Félicien Rops. Rops, discovering his sketchbook, advised him to devote himself to engraving. Darbour followed this path and became an artist renowned for his lithographs and fine engravings, often printed in very small numbers. Born into a wealthy family, he was not dependent on the Paris art market, and led a quiet life at Château d'Uzos, near Pau.
However, he took an active part in artistic life, exhibiting regularly at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where his work was noticed. As a lithographer, he also contributed to the Art Nouveau portfolios of the magazine L'Estampe moderne, a prestigious showcase for the artists of his time. His works, imbued with elegance and sensitivity, circulated in Parisian and European artistic circles.
Today, some of his works are preserved in French museums, notably the Musée Maurice Denis in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Musée Antoine Lécuyer in Saint-Quentin. His name also appears in the repertoire of the Musée d'Orsay, proof of the recognition of his contribution to the history of engraving and lithography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Ref: 0A9VIHYBLF