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121

Abel Lauvray

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Abel Lauvray
Title Paysage in South of France,
Catalogue raisonne no35
Oil on canvas
Size framed 31 x22 inches
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<b>Artist Biography - Abel Lauvray </b>
<BR>(1870-1950)BR>
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The name Lauvray is well known to the historians of Claude Monet. It is that of a resident of Vetheuil, Notary Public by profession, who became Claude Monet’s neighbor in the Ile-de-France. The two men became friends and stayed in contact even when Monet decided to settle in Giverny a little below Vetheuil. In 1893, Claude Monet purchased a parcel of land situated on the other side of the road, where he wanted to make two ponds the future Water lily Ponds. In order to do this, he needed to install an off takes from the river. The inhabitants of Giverny protested, so Claude Monet asked Mr. Lauvray to intervene on his behalf with the Sub-Prefet of Andelys. The intervention was successful and it is thus partially thanks to Pierre-Abel Lauvray that the installation of the Water Lily ponds took place. The two men stayed in contact.
The notary public had a son named Abel, born in 1890. As a child he watched Monet work. A vocation of painter awoke in the young man, who enrolled at the Fine Arts School and Studied traditional learned technique from him. Back in Vetheuil he saw Claude Monet again; who a rare privilege allowed Lauvray to accompany him on location. Monet sometimes took him on his boat-studio, which he later gave him. Contact with Monet lightened Lauvray’s palette, and developed in him a fine sensitiveness to light.
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In 1895, Lauvray went to the south of France, where Monet himself had gone ten years earlier. There, he painted views of Antibes, Cannes and de la Napoule. In his letters he shared his hopes and his fears. During this period his parents were supporting him. Finally, Lauvray went to the Cormon Academy following in the footsteps of Van Gogh. Toulouse-Laudrec and Leon Joubert, who was certainly behind this decision. He learned a great deal, he had in hand all the elements necessary to compose and execute a good work of art, as wellness his painting of this period. 1897 he did four painting for the Champ de Mars Salon, though he had only to present two.
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In 1900, Lauvray was 30 years old. In the ‘Classic” he had learned that Greece was the mother of our Western culture. In possession of his craft, he departed for this country. To our knowledge, he is one of the rare artists from this period to have sojourned in Greece. Considering that we know of about 20 Painting done in the country.
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In 1901, Lauvray went to Pond-Aven, the place made famous by Nabis’ Sojourn. This trend represented since 1888 by young artists such as Securier, M. Denis, and Bonnard Vuillard. Lauvray stayed not far from there, whith inspired several paintings, including one which was admitted to the Salon of the National Society if Fine Arts in 1902.
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In 1904, a letter addressed, to his parents, Lauvray shared his Love for Avignon to paint landscapes where, starting in 1930, he spent every winter.
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Lauvray also exhibited at the Independents Salon in 1906, 1909,1910, 1911, 1912, and 1914. In 1916, on the same page of the official catalog, where the painters are listed we find Archille Lauge, Marie Laurencin, Laurent-Gsell and Lauvray. He was therefore able to meet these painters, see their work and discuss them.
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In 1908 was a good year on the personal level. On February 3rd of that year, Abel Lauvray married Jeanne Lejard. She was an orphan to whom her father an important notary public, had left a very large dowry, which, combined with the assets of the Lauvray family, placed the newly-weds above any financial worries.


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In 1913, a daughter, Genevieve, was born to the couple. His marriage did nothing to modify his style of life. He continued to paint constantly. He hardly traveled, but floated on the Seine in the special boat Monet had had constructed to be able to dedicate himself to his art in any weather. During World War I, Abel Lauvray was drafted but because of his age, was posted to the Territorial, which left him some time for his art. After his marriage, he totally abandoned cities and isolated himself on the banks of the rivers, in the fields and the forest, always in search of a ray of light, transparent water, the green of the leaf a sky, cloudless or heavy with gray. He who had so traveled, in Italy, Greece and all of France hardly ever moved again.
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In 1928, he exhibited a painting, entitled “Along the Seine in Vetheuil” at the salon des Artistes Francais.
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In 1930, Lauvray rented a house in Villeneuve-les-Avignon, where the view is magnificent. From the house’s terrace, Abel Lauvray could see, from one side, to the East, the Rhone and the other side, the two arms of its calm water encircling Barthelasse Island. In 1939, the war locked him into Villeneuve les Avignon; the demarkation line cutting France in two, separating him from his homes in Vetheuil and Mantes, and from Tours where his only daughter, his son-in-law and his grandchildren lived.
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Finally, in 1945, the war ended and he returned to his home in Vetheuil and the rest of his family joined him as well. But many disappointments awaited him. During his forced absence, his beautiful home had been occupied by the Germans, his studio partially charred by incendiary bombs. In his home valuable objects disappeared, especially paintings and sketches. The fruits of his incessant labor from 1909, the year of his marriage, to 1939 the year of the war. Mrs. Lauvray recounted, ‘he cried, he cried a lot” she said sadly, but despite his age, 75, he did not get discouraged.
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Some people of Vetheuil still remember today seeing the old tired looking man with the white beard, struggling to carry his easel, his painting box in hand. He walked along the linden-tree lined path that led to the banks of the seine, and they’re painting for hours and hours. Nothing stopped him, not even the bitter cold. Mrs. Lauvray replied: “It was his passion.”
<P>The fact that Lauvray distanced himself from the artistic milieu had the disadvantage of making him forgotten, not only by the dealers, but also by critics and collectors. His first major posthumous exhibition took place in 1963. To celebrate the centenary of his birth in 1970, a huge exhibition took place at the Yves Jaubert Gallery, and there again, collectors discovered paintings worthy of the masters. The critics in the art magazines and the newspapers raved.
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Guy Dormand in the ‘Courrier des Arts’ wrote “… a veritable impressionist, friend and companion of Claude Monet. His only fault? To have lived and painted for himself all of his life. Henceforth, one will never be able to forget him: he must be listed after Monet, Sysley and Pissarro, of which he appears to be like the fraternal, persuasive emulator”.
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An article in art and literature magazine stated that “ The centenary exhibition of Abel Lauvray at the Yves Jaubert gallery, was placed under the presidency of Edmond Michelet, then government secretary, Charge of Cultural affairs, and Coincided with the release of the book that Claude Roger Marx consecrated to abel Lauvray.”
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In fact, Lauvray, who had gone to so much trouble in his youth, to perfect himself, to participate in the big salons, to meet the juries in vogue, to frequent other painters, changed a great deal over the years. Painting remained his great passion, but with the mastery of art and technique, worked without worrying what others thought.
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