Les Crevettes

19th-century oil painting on carton signed by the artist in the lower right Gaston Corbier (1869-1945). The work has texture to the touch.

This still life portrays shrimp spilling out of a basket and brown paper, next to a stoneware jar. The shrimp in the basket is a common image from life in Charente Maritime. The brushstrokes are energetically applied, yielding a textured appearance. Gaston Corbier avoids unnecessary intricacies and convincingly renders life-like textures using a vibrant yet consistent palette, adhering to the Naturalist style conventions. His technique also imparts a sense of motion to the inanimate objects, complemented by his adept handling of reflections and shadows through judicious use of light.

About the artist: 

Gaston Corbier, a French painter associated with the Naturalism movement, was born in 1869 in Sainte, a commune in the southwest of France situated in the department of Charente-Maritime. He passed away in his hometown in 1945.

He had a strong connection to Charente and became well-known as a regional landscape painter. His artworks vividly depict the beautiful coastlines of Charente, and he also created lively still lifes with a vibrant color palette.

Gaston Corbier drew inspiration from the visits of Gustave Courbet and Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, who painted together in Port Berteau, near Sainte, in August 1962. He greatly admired the master Corot and shared a similar passion for capturing the essence of light and beauty in his subjects.

• Overall size: 12.9" x 20" / 33.5cm x 51.5cm.
  
• Size without the frame: 9.8" x 16.9" / 25.5cm x 43.5cm.
  
• Country: France. 
• Signed: Gaston Corbier (1869-1945). 
• Date: Late 19th century.
• Condition: The work has some gaps in the pictorial layer. It is slightly domed and a veins network is visible on the left side, creating an interesting antique effect on the shrimp cone. The original frame has some loss of gilding, which gives all its charm, in the central frame.
• Materials: Oil on carton with a wood and stucco frame.
• Shipping: Free Global Shipping with a small surcharge for Australia and Asia.