Pont-Aven, from Landscape to Canvas
If you mention Pont-Aven, you're sure to conjure up images of Brittany and painting. This helps us understand why artists loved spending time there so much, depicting the landscapes and picturesque sites.
From landscape to canvas
Artists were drawn to the inhabitants of this city, whose lives were filled with many traditions, despite them also following urban customs and speaking French (rather than Breton). In Brittany, light is an endless source of inspiration for painters. The atmosphere is unique and the motifs are picturesque in Pont-Aven: the Bois d’Amour, the Trémalo chapel, the port, the windmills...
The city gave its name to the movement created by Paul Gauguin and Émile Bernard, the École de Pont-Aven (Pont-Aven School).
The Bois d’Amour at Pont-Aven (1883) by Marie LUPLAUMuseum of Pont-Aven
Le Bois d'Amour
Pont-Aven Harbour (1878/1878) by Gaston ROULLETMuseum of Pont-Aven
The harbor of Pont-Aven
Guest houses and inns for artists
From 1860 onward, Pont-Aven attracted traveling artists. Following in the footsteps of the American pioneers, painters flocked to the location. The quality of the welcome they received was a determining factor in the establishment of this artistic colony: rooms, studios, and models were readily available. One of the most famous hostesses was Julia Guillou, owner of the Hôtel des Voyageurs and then of an establishment that bore her own name. The Gloanec guest house was another popular meeting point.
Signboard from the former Pension Gloanec (Vers 1880-1881) by Hermanus-Franciscus Van den ANKER et Fernand QUIGNONMuseum of Pont-Aven
The Butter Merchant or Sharing the Butter, Breton Interior (Vers 1880-1882) by Hermanus-Franciscus Van den ANKERMuseum of Pont-Aven
From 1869 onward, Van den Anker descended on Pont-Aven, where he stayed in a room in the Gloanec guest house.
Following the death of his friend Robert Wylie in 1877, he set up his studio on the upper floor of the Lezaven Manor until 1883.
This composition depicts an extremely realistic interior, with ethnographic value.
From 1869 onward, Van den Anker descended on Pont-Aven, where he stayed in a room in the Gloanec guest house. Following the death of his friend Robert Wylie in 1877, he set up his studio on the upper floor of the Lezaven Manor until 1883. This composition depicts an extremely realistic interior, with ethnographic value. A work originating from Julia Guillou's former collection, it was part of the décor in the Hôtel Julia. This interior scene, noteworthy for its high-quality handling of light, depicted the daily life of a carpenter, doubtlessly evoking the Nordic painter's life in his home country.
Studio Interior (1884/1884) by Edward Loyal FIELDMuseum of Pont-Aven
The walls of the dining room were decorated with paintings on wood, gifted by the painters to Marie-Jeanne Gloanec (1839–1915).
This woodwork, from the Gloanec guest house in Pont-Aven, remained in the possession of the family of hoteliers until it was acquired by the museum.
The work depicts an interior scene: a man, wearing a helmet on his head, seated near a wood burner, absorbed in a book.
Paintings are hung on the wall. It emanates a peaceful atmosphere.
Seascape (Fin XIXe-Début XXe) by ANOMYMEMuseum of Pont-Aven
This painting was displayed on the wall of the reading room in the Hôtel Julia. Helping the artists who chose to create in Pont-Aven was something Julia Guillou held close to her heart.
She welcomed many paintings into her hotels. This is a piece that, to date, has remained anonymous, depicting a maritime scene with a boat and its crew as the main subject.
Woodland Interior at Pont-Aven (1879/1879) by Jules GIRARDETMuseum of Pont-Aven
This picture adorned the walls of the Hôtel Julia and was part of the woodwork in the dining room. The piece depicts two figures having a conversation in a clearing.
A woman in Pont-Aven attire is sitting, leaning against a tree, while a man to her left, also in the local attire, is stretched out, turning his face toward her.
With fairly liberal workmanship, this piece seems to have been created outdoors, which is a rarity among the artist's known repertoire.
The Tinsmith (Vers 1881-1882) by Burr H. NICHOLLSMuseum of Pont-Aven
Pont-Aven, land of inspiration for painters
These works are representative of the artists attracted by the Breton exoticism, which they depicted realistically (every detail of the attire or furnishings is accurate). The romantic vision of Brittany was translated by academic painters who exhibited their canvases at the official Paris Salon.
Studio Door: The Kelp Harvest; The River Aven; Pont-Aven Harbour from the Quay (1900/2000) by ANOMYMEMuseum of Pont-Aven
A ready-made triptych
A studio door as a creative medium was often used at the time. The artist created a triptych work inspired by Impressionism, using paint and light-detailed work.
It is brought to life by Breton scenes. The first upper panel depicts a man collecting kelp on a shingle beach.
The central panel shows a Breton woman on a path. Finally, in the third panel, we can see four boats docked in Pont-Aven.
Contributors:
Sophie Kervran, director and curator of museums
Camille Armandary, in charge of exhibitions and communication
