"Oil On Canvas "the City Rat & The Field Rat" Dated 1911 & Signed Léon Jouenne"
OIL ON CANVAS, "THE CITY RAT AND THE COUNTRY RAT" 1911Léon JOUENNE 1845-1912
Superb oil on canvas depicting a "still" life painting with mouses, entitled "The City Rat and the Field Rat". The work is signed at the bottom right, in red, "L. JOUENNE PERE, AN. 1911"
The painter here amusing diverted the genre of the inert still life by adding 2 incongruous characters: 2 small dormice / mouses dressed or even dressed in their Sunday best, carrying cane and clothes, seeming to be conversing during an improvised dinner. The starting theme of his "still" life is all in all classic: a corner of the table covered with a tablecloth with a multitude of fruits, a pitcher and an upside-down stemmed glass, except that it adds to this delicious this lively scene of small rodents, as if disguised as humans to enjoy this delicious menu during which peaches, Muscat grapes, pumpkin and other dishes seem to be destined for their appetite.
A pair of miniature clogs still stand alongside a bowl and a broth covered in Nevers or Auxerrois ceramic, and a knife whose handle seems to be made of porcelain decorated with flowers.
The glass spilled at the foot of one of the protagonists accentuates the animation of this scene seeming to illustrate a dialogue between our 2 companions.
This painting was kept by its author until his death in his own house, proof of the attachment he had to it, then by his successive heirs (mentioned as kept by Jean JOUENNE in 1990) until recently.
Better still, the latter has written a monograph book on this family of artists ("La Saga des Jouenne, une famille de peintres à Châtillon, chronique en forme de plaquetttes", Chatillon 92, 1990) and in particular on Léon JOUENNE, featuring prominently this delightful painting of 1911, illustrated in colour, described, titled and dated, with mention of its family provenance, alongside another painting also representing 3 little white mice playing on and around a map:
This other painting entitled "The Earth and Mice" is also dated the same year.
One of the mouses even seems to be leaning on a cane and pacing the top of the earthenware chest of drawers. Here again, the theme of still life takes up the classic elements of this genre, with this flower-picker chest of drawers commonly made in Nevers in the 2nd part of the 18th century, binoculars, pocket watch and its chain, books, cane and precious snuffbox furnish with pleasure and harmony a corner of the desk, covered with a carpet.
Lovely genre scene in its very beautiful original condition. The painting has retained what appears to be its original Montparnasse frame, cerused in grey and with Marie-Louise painted in white. The work has been re-canvassed and has no defects in holes, paint chips or other. The canvas even seems to have been cleaned, and is just ready to be hung.
Artwork dimensions:
65*50.5cm landscape format n°15 (illustrated and described p29 of the above-mentioned book)
and 85*69cm with its frame
The book will be provided with the painting
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato