Alphonse Birck (1859-1942) - Lively Scene In Penmarc'h, Brittany - Oil On Canvas

Alphonse BIRCK (Metz, 1859 – Fontainebleau, 1942)

Conversation in front of Kérouil's ordeal at Penmarc'h, Saint-Guénolé
Oil on canvas signed lower right
Framed
Format (canvas): 42 x 56 cm / Format (frame): 54 x 68 cm

Alphonse Birck moved to Paris at the age of 16 to follow courses at the School of Decorative Arts and then complete his training in a few free academies including the Académie Julian with Jean-Paul Laurens. He won several awards for his work, including a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1900. His first steps in this artistic world were made at the Salon des artistes français in 1882, with the exhibition of a portrait painting from his father. After several exhibitions, he was attracted, like many artists of his time, by the Orient. He leaves France for Algeria. In the 1890s he spent a long time in Egypt, then traveled to Palestine and Syria, before returning to Algiers. He paints scenes of daily life, landscapes and portraits. He is fascinated by the light and colors of the region. He will spend the rest of his life between Algeria and Fontainebleau. He exhibited regularly in Metz, his hometown, until 1936. In 1912, Birck was named Knight of the Legion of Honor. He was also a member of the Society of French Artists and the Society of French Orientalist Painters.
Alphonse Birck explains his passion for this country: “If all orientalist artists knew better the admirable field of study that Algeria offers them, perhaps they would not seek subjects in more distant lands, because Algeria alone sums up the entire Orient." Birck's style is often described as realistic and detailed. His paintings skillfully capture the colors and textures of the objects and clothing he paints. Birck is also known for his skillful use of light and shadow in his paintings. Alphonse Birck also went to Brittany and left us a good number of works, portraits or landscapes, mainly in watercolors.
One of his works was also presented at the Musée du Faouët in 2022 on the occasion of the exhibition Le Portrait dans la Peinture en Bretagne. In 2014, an exhibition of his work was presented at the Musée de la Cour d'Or in Metz.