Jean-Pierre Champdavoine

“Gardens”

an Exhibition of Watercolours by

Jean-Pierre Champdavoine at Nogent-le-Rotrou

A few days ago we were visiting the town of Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It was a rare day of sunshine and a bit of warmth after days of wind, rain and cold. There, we went to the Château des Comtes du Perche, previously known as the Chateau Saint-Jean. This is an impressive castle with one of the oldest keeps in France dating from the 1040’s. Whilst there, we happened upon by chance an exhibition by a local watercolour artist, Jean-Pierre Champdavoine.

The Chateau des Comtes du Perche from the Medieaval Garden

The exhibition entitled “Jardins” or “Gardens” had as its subject the gardens of Le Perche area. Le Perche is an old French department now forming the south-eastern part of the Departments of the Orne and Normandy. This exhibition tied in nicely with the one we later saw at the Musee des Impressionismes at Giverny, Côté Jardin: Monet to Bonnard (Post to follow!) also dealing with gardens.

The Exhibition poster

The 58 watercolours on show are highly detailed, and show a stunning array of different tones and shades of green, with a focus on the play of light and shade. For the artist, from what he has written, we can gather that for him emotion and a feeling for the place he is painting is paramount.

A watercolour is not a story it is rather the translation of a sensation, a memory a, state of mind

Each painting transmits an emotion – be it a smile or an anxiety, but it could also be feeling of  pleasure. Without pleasure we cannot do anything

Below are some examples of his paintings …

Jean-Pierre Champdavoine was born in 1942, and studied at the Beaux-Arts de Bourges and Tours. He later taught art at the Lycée Rémi-Belleau de Nogent-le-Rotrou from 1968 to 2001. He works primarily in watercolour depicting mainly lansdscape scenes of his local Perche area. This Exhibition runs until the 26th September 2021 – you never know, you might get the chance to see it!

Click on the links below for further information:

https://www.ville-nogentlerotrou.fr

http://www.perche-tourisme.fr/Explorer/Nos-incontournables/Chateau-des-comtes-du-Perche-Nogent-le-Rotrou

https://www.facebook.com/museechateaudescomtesduperche

http://www.champdavoine.net

 

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