“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 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 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
https://www.facebook.com/museechateaudescomtesduperche
