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TITLE:
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Time for Lunch
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PERIOD:
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19th century
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CATEGORY:
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Paintings
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MATERIALS:
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oil on canvas
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SIZE:
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18 1/4 X 15 1/4 inches
Framed size is 33 x 30 inches
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DESCRIPTION:
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Victor Gabriel Gilbert was born in Paris in 1847. Established later as an artist of French genre paintings, Gilbert's natural drawing ability was to be acknowledged at an early age. However, due to financial circumstances, Gilbert was left to work as an artisan, a decorator. The artist's only formal art education was from Pierre Levasseur at the Ecole de La Ville de Paris while he also studied under Victor Adam (1801-1866) and Charles Busson (1859-1933). Recognized by the Parisian public (the artist lived in France for 86 years), Gilbert was well noted for market scenes and portraits of elegant women as well as the landscapes of Normandy. Gilbert's market scenes included the everyday images of fish and flowers, poultry and vegetables with a fine attention to detail. During his career, Gilbert exhibited first at the Salon in both 1873 and 1874. While associated there, Gilbert met and founded a friendship with Pierre Martin who was a primary supporter of the Impressionists. It was Martin who collected works by Cezanne (1839-1906), Gauguin (1848-1903), Van Gogh (1853-1890) and Victor Gilbert. Through Martin's patronage, Gilbert was allowed to abandon his career as a decorator, devoting full concentration to painting. Thereafter, Gilbert exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais. In 1889, he was given the Award d'Argent. In 1897, Gilbert was made a knight of the Legion d'Honneur. Later in 1926, the artist won the Prix Leon Bonnat. "Time for Lunch" is an intimate moment in the life of grandmother and grandchild. In a series of child portrait studies, Gilbert has often painted the studied figure shown here, dressed in a fine tailored blue tog. Accompanied by the boy's grandmother, the two are enjoying an afternoon out, in their neighborhood park. The artist has used a soothing palette of soft greens and creams with taupes, allowing the central figures of the compostion to be the main focus, feeding pigeons and wrens. Dressed in age appropriate attire in the early 1900's, the female figure is complacent while watching her grandchild enjoy the afternoon. Dressed in shades of violet, the grandmother's striking grey coiffure lends a regal touch to her presence. Two pastel rose topiaries stand guard in the small section of the park while Gilbert has quietly included a group of visitors along with a male passerby, dressed in a straw hat. Works by Victor Gabriel Gilbert are now housed in private and public collections throughout the world. Gilbert's work may also be seen at the Hotel de Ville in Paris as part of the original decoration as well as in the Chateau Museum in Dieppe, France. Victor Gabriel Gilbert died in 1935. Museums: Bayeux, Besancon, Dieppe, Le Havre, Liege, Lille, Nice, Strasbourg.
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