GARD Léon (1901-1979) "Flowered Flowerbed in the Bonhsommes Park" Isle Adam Tulle Paris

Léon Gard (1901-1979)

"Flowerbed in the Bonshommes Park, L'Isle-Adam, 1969"

Oil on cardboard,
Signed lower right,
Dated on the reverse by the artist,
Inventory number of the artist's studio on the reverse: "54"

Provenance: The artist's family

A beautiful work by the painter Léon Gard depicting a flowerbed in a corner of the Bonshommes Park in L'Isle-Adam.

The work was created in 1969 at the Château des Bonshommes, during one of the artist's stays there, a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of Paris.

Born in Tulle, Corrèze, the Gard family moved about ten years later to Morigny near Étampes, and then to Paris.

From the age of 12, Léon Gard displayed his artistic talent by creating a charcoal portrait of himself.

At 16, he copied old master paintings for a play, "Petite Reine" (Little Queen). He received state encouragement and was nominated for membership in the Salon d'Automne the following year.

In 1922, he entered the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, studying in the studio of the painter Ernest Laurent. However, finding the theories of his professors and the atmosphere of the school difficult to tolerate, he signed a contract with the art dealer Georges Chéron, who exhibited Soutine, Foujita, and Van Dongen.
His friend and patron, Louis Metman, director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts), then granted him a stipend so he could paint in Toulon. The economic crisis of 1931 forced the painter to find work in a painting restoration workshop, which he eventually became the owner of. He continued to send his works to the Salon de la Nationale and to exhibit, notably at the Galerie Charpentier and Bernheim in Paris.

Through his job, he became friends with Sacha Guitry.

In 1946, Léon Gard founded the art magazine Apollo and embarked on a crusade against non-figurative painting. To escape the Parisian bustle, the artist spent several periods at the Château des Bonshommes in the forest of L'Isle-Adam, taking pleasure in depicting the park of Bonshommes according to the whims of the weather and the seasons.

Léon Gard was a great colorist, striving to represent what he saw with precision in compositions where he sometimes expressed his love of precise outlines, detail, and the weight of things; at other times, in a broader style, he indulged his love of atmosphere and vibrant colors. Finally, on a few occasions, he attempts to merge these two seemingly irreconcilable problems into a single work.

For further information about the artist, please refer to the website dedicated to the painter.

Dimensions: 41 x 33 cm unframed and 52 x 60 cm with its Louis XV style Montparnasse wooden frame.

A catalogue on the painter Léon Gard (1901-1979) and a certificate of authenticity will be provided to the buyer.

For more information, please contact us.

Ref: 7JS3Y3OZV0