Painting by Adolphe GUMERY - The chapel of Notre-Dame de Callot in Carantec (Finistère)

Adolphe GUMERY
(Paris 1861 - 1943)
The Chapel of Notre-Dame de Callot in Carantec (Finistère)

Oil on canvas
47 x 55 cm
Signed 'A. Gumery' lower right

Adolphe Gumery was born in Paris on April 5, 1861. He was the son of sculptor Charles Gumery, who had worked alongside Charles Garnier on the new Opera House. In his father's studio, he studied with Louis Boulanger, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, and Paul Baudry, among others. In 1882, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts under the direction of Jules Lefebvre and frequented artistic circles, where he met Émile Zola, who asked him to illustrate the first edition of Germinal in 1885. His talent was recognized early on. He exhibited regularly at various Salons, notably the Salon des Artistes Français, as well as at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, every year between 1903 and 1942.
From 1895 onwards, Adolphe Gumery was influenced by the Pont-Aven School. He made picturesque Brittany the main subject of his works. The rocky landscapes of the Pink Granite Coast and traditional scenes of life, particularly those located in Finistère, inspired him.
The work we present to you is therefore easily situated within his artistic output.
At the top of a hill where heather and rocks coexist, a Beaumanoir-style church proudly dominates the horizon. The landscape is lively: a white horse grazes peacefully on the grass while an elderly woman makes her way towards the monument, in front of which a few people gather to attend mass. Here, the artist chose to bring together the characteristic elements of picturesque Brittany: a wild landscape, typical architecture—in short, a simple life where tradition and nature coexist harmoniously.
Many of Adolphe Gumery's works are held in public collections, notably at the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée Carnavalet, and the Musée des Années 30 in Boulogne-Billancourt.
Since the 2000s, an association known as "Friends of the Painter Adolphe Gumery" has regularly presented his works at various fairs and exhibitions. Two retrospectives have also been dedicated to him.

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