Le Manège de nuit et fête foraine by Ferdinand du Puigaudeau

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau
1864-1930 | French

Le Manège de nuit et fête foraine
(The Night Carousel and Carnival)

Signed "F. du Puigaudeau" (center left)
Oil on canvas

A spirited evening carnival is the subject of this enchanting oil on canvas by French Impressionist Ferdinand du Puigaudeau. In this painting, revelers wander the fairgrounds, swing on swings and ride a lively carousel. The excitement and energy are almost palpable. Du Puigadeau’s treatment of light in this composition is exquisite. The eye is automatically drawn to the carousel’s glow while the sunset above creates a complementary illumination, and pinpricks of light above the carousel appear almost like fireworks. Du Puigaudeau’s attention to detail is equally impressive. Women in the foreground are dressed in traditional attire, while the boys wear round hats. Their expressions are curious, looking at other attendees and attractions, trying to decide where to go next. This beautiful painting lends itself to the invention of multiple narratives; so many stories are depicted within this one scene.

Known for vibrant depictions of country fairs, fireworks and sunsets, as exemplified in this work, du Puigaudeau merged elements of Symbolism and Neo-Impressionism with traditional Impressionism, contributing a unique aesthetic to the movement. Born on April 4, 1864 in Nantes, France, he was largely self-taught before arriving at the famous artist colony of Pont-Aven in 1886, where he met Paul Gauguin. Through famed art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, Edgar Degas obtained a du Puigaudeau painting, and Degas and du Puigaudeau would become good friends. During the early 1900s, the artist traveled to Venice where he produced a number of important canvases depicting myriad sights of the city. Today, his works are held in the collections of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper in France, among others.

Circa 1890

Canvas: 25 5/8” high x 36 5/8” wide
Frame: 34 1/2” high x 44 7/8” wide

Provenance:
Sale: Douillard-Sanson, Nantes, June 17, 1987
Sale: Christie's, South Kensington, June 22, 2000, lot 36
Galerie du Post-Impressionnisme, Paris
Private collection, acquired from the above on September 20, 2007
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Exhibitions:
Pont-Aven, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven, Exposition Ferdinand du Puigaudeau, 1998, no. 16, illustrated in the catalogue
Morlaix, France, Musée des Jacobins, Ferdinand du Puigaudeau, 1998, no. 16, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Hammer Galleries, Ferdinand du Puigaudeau, 2002, n.n., illustrated in the catalogue
Paris, Galerie La Cymaise, Deux peintres bretons de l’école de Pont-Aven, 2003, n.n., illustrated in the catalogue

Literature:
Antoine Laurentin, Catalogue raisonné des peintures de Ferdinand du Puigaudeau, vol. I, Paris, 1989, no. 1, illustrated p. 250