1415 - Julien Dupré (1851, Paris – 1910, ibid.)

Julien Dupré (1851, Paris – 1910, ibid.) Children Enjoying the Ice in Nauroy Against the backdrop of the snow-covered village of Nauroy (see “Winter Landscape, Nauroy,” ca. 1895, Cat. No. L1000), a large group of children has gathered to enjoy the winter pastime of ice sledding, accompanied by a small dog that joyfully observes the cheerful, dynamic scene. The viewer’s gaze is guided by the skillfully placed axis of movement from left to right and lingers on the group of three leading the crowd of children: A young boy in blue pants and a dark hat glides directly toward the viewer with his arms outstretched and a visible effort to maintain his balance, supported by a girl wearing a bright orange headscarf, while behind them another boy crouches, concentrating as he stays on the ice. The rich blues, browns, and reds of the children’s simple peasant clothing form a striking contrast to the earthy shades of white and gray in the snow and the overcast winter sky. Particularly in his depiction of the heavy woolen fabrics, the lifelike rendering of the joyfully excited faces, but also in the authentic rendering of the shimmering, slippery black ice, the artist demonstrates his exceptional talent for depicting textures and creates an extremely charming, vividly lively genre scene that masterfully conveys the fleeting moment and the exuberant atmosphere. Julien Dupré first attended evening classes at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and subsequently studied at the Paris Academy under Isidore Pils and Henri Lehmann. From the mid-1870s onward, he spent a great deal of time in rural Nauroy, as the family of his mentor and teacher, Désiré François Laugée, lived there. Together with Laugée’s son, Georges Laugée—Dupré’s close friend and fellow student—he undertook extensive study excursions into nature there. The rural Picardy region around Nauroy—Dupré having grown up in a purely urban environment in Paris—gave him a deeper understanding of peasant life and its harsh realities and served as a direct source of inspiration, which he translated directly into plein-air paintings. The bond with the Laugée family was strengthened in 1876 when Dupré married his teacher’s daughter, Marie Eléonore Françoise. From then on, although the artist did not live permanently in Nauroy, he used the town for many years as a seasonal place of work and retreat alongside his urban life in Paris. Influenced by Jean-François Millet, Jules Breton, and Gustave Courbet, Dupré now took up peasant and rural motifs, depicting them with powerful authenticity and a naturalistic eye for detail. Although Dupré remained committed to the spirit of Realism throughout his life, the emerging Impressionist movement also left its mark on his oeuvre, leading to a lightening of his colors and a loosening of his brushwork—a shift that is particularly evident in this work, especially in his treatment of the snow and the diffuse winter light. Dupré regularly exhibited his works at the Paris Salon from 1876 until his death, won a medal at the 1889 Paris World’s Fair, and exhibited at the Venice Biennale between 1895 and 1899. Oil on canvas, with relining. Signed lower left; 66 cm x 81.5 cm. Framed. Oil on canvas, with relining. Signed.