The Suspension Bridge By Adolphe Beaufrère - Pont-aven School - Brittany

Etching created in 1921, countersigned by the artist in the plate and numbered 24/60.
Dimensions 22.5 x 29.5 cm. Unframed.

Adolphe Beaufrère (1876-1960):
Painter and engraver of the Pont-Aven School, born in Quimperlé, Adolphe Beaufrère evolved in a merchant environment. At twenty-one he entered the École des Beaux-Arts and frequented the studios of Gustave Moreau then that of Fernand Cormon to perfect his drawing and subject himself to the rigor of engraving! In 1898, his first exhibition at the Salon de Paris, reflected his stays in Pont Aven and Pouldu where he painted on location. From this date until the end of the forties, he regularly exhibited his engravings and paintings in the great Parisian salons. An experience would mark his style and his passion for color, after winning a competition from the Ministry of Fine Arts in 1911, for which he spent two years traveling. He resided in Algeria at the Villa Abd-el-Tif, a small palace in the Algiers countryside that hosted artists from mainland France. From there, he traveled the coast and the Algiers countryside, producing extensively and working in gouache and pastel. He traveled to Italy and Spain and would often return to North Africa. 1920 was the beginning of his fame, his engravings were distributed by the famous Sagot-Le Garrec galleries in Paris and Conalghi in London. Adolphe Beaufrère roamed the coastline between Audierne and Larmor-Plage, where he had settled since 1922. Accustomed to country lanes and coastal paths, most often traveled by bicycle, Adolphe Beaufrère possessed a profound knowledge of nature. His favorite themes, which he paints on location, are essentially estuaries, rivers, and seaside landscapes, but also views of the Argoat, farms, and peasant work. In countless creations, he gives a major place to the tree; it is in turn strength, height, protection, and nature in its purest state. The painter goes to the essential, he has integrated the teaching of synthetism specific to the movement created by Gauguin. The flat colors construct his paintings and give shape to his compositions. He is present in many French and Algerian museums.