Galerie Paul Prouté

Heir to the landscape painters of the 19th century, the artist Charles Wislin has just emerged from the shadow in which his death had plunged his work. First a student of Jules Noël and then of Jean-Paul Laurens, Charles Wislin nourished his art with Barbizon and Impressionist productions. He imbued the former with their affection for peaceful and timeless landscapes, and the latter with their lively and daring brushstrokes. Active in the Parisian artistic life of the Belle Epoque, he was notably present at the Salon des Artistes français where Guy de Maupassant noticed his work in 1886. He also participated in the Universal Exhibition of 1889 where his August Day on the Cliffs of Etretat was awarded. A great traveler, Charles Wislin criss-crossed France, from the Picardy coast to the Alpine rocks. He pushed back the borders and also went to Italy, and even to Algeria. Between 1915 and 1917, he settled on the beaches of Brittany. With a sometimes very sketchy style, typical of painting on the ground, the artist nevertheless managed to paint landscapes with precision. With the rediscovery of this artist traveler, it is also the Emerald Coast of the last century that is offered to our eyes. The different views allow us to recognize the ramparts of Saint-Malo, but also the beaches of Dinard and the picturesque islands facing the Rance basin. Charles Wislin distinguishes himself for his talent in rendering the changing atmosphere of these seashores, such as the brilliant morning light on the waves, the superb turquoise of the sea in rainy weather, and the peaceful activity of the boats lying on the water.