Alexandre-marie Colin (1778- 1875) - The Return From Fishing, Circa 1840

Oil on canvas Signed lower left
Dimensions: 27 x 40.5 cm
With frame: 34 x 48 cm

Price: 2900 euros

Parisian painter of French Romanticism.

The painting represents a return from fishing, with a romantic touch and a dynamic composition. The characters, mainly women and children accompanied by a dog, rest after the effort of fishing and collecting shells. We find in this work the main characteristics of romanticism: An idealization of the scene where the expression of feelings is very present; many expressive glances are exchanged between the protagonists. Light and colors, dear to romantics, illuminate the canvas. The children's colorful caps have various patterns, the scarves and the fisherwomen's outfits feature different shades. the composition is structured by a downward diagonal formed by the three fisherwomen in the foreground. The painter's technique serves the solidity of the composition.

Alexandre-Marie Colin painted with the Romantics. Pupil of Anne-Louis Girodet, he became a painter of history, genre, portrait and landscape. We know of him a few lithographs and drawings. A great friend of Delacroix, figurehead of French Romanticism, and of Richard Bonington, one of the most important English Romantic painters of his time, Colin took part in the Parisian Salons from 1819 until the end of his career. He was medalist and rewarded from 1824 to 1840, painted the decoration of the church of Saint-Roch in 1851 and was appointed professor of drawing at the Beaux-Arts in Nîmes when he reached maturity. Posterity has often confused certain paintings by Delacroix with those by Colin. From the artist, we remember his portraits of the Parisian high society, painters (for example, the Portrait of Géricault, 1924) and actors in stage costume. Otherwise, he painted landscapes of Italy and paintings of the history of the struggle for Greek independence, inspired by the poetic masterpieces of Lord Byron.

Bibliography: • Emmanuel Bénézit, “Dictionary of painters, sculptors, designers and engravers”, t. 3, Paris, Librairie Gründ, 1976, p. 772 • Michel Nicolas, “History of the artists, painters, sculptors, architects and musician-composers of the Gard department”, Nîmes, Imprimerie Ballivet, 1859, p. 14-15 • “Catalogue of paintings and copies of Alexandre Colin, history painter, knight of the Legion of Honor and antique furniture, porcelain, earthenware, costumes, fabrics, various objects that furnished his studio, the sale of which will take place following his death on Wednesday February 2, 1876”, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 1876, p. I-XII

Museums: Paris: • Louvre Museum Department of Paintings; Louvre Museum Department of Graphic Arts; Matignon hotel. • Versailles, National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon; north wing of ministers; Lambinet Museum. In the provinces: Rouen, museum of fine arts. Dijon; Magnin National Museum. Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue; maritime museum of Tatihou Island. Autún; Rolin Museum. Sweet whipped cream ; Conde Museum. Towers; Museum of Fine Arts. Dijon; Museum of Fine Arts. Internationally: Munich, Florence.