Auguste DURST (French 1842-1930).
Oil on Canvas – Children playing among chickens in the post impressionist style.
Signed lower right. 26.5 x 34.5 cm. Important gilded stuccoed wood frame.
Both the painting and the frame are in very good original condition with no restorations or repairs. A pupil of both Ernest Hébert and Léon Bonnat, Auguste DURST enjoyed a close friendship with Kupka and Vuillard, his neighbours. Initially, he drew inspiration from Monet and the Barbizon School but gradually developed a distinct, personal style while preserving the prevailing rural aesthetic of his time. His artistic palette often showcased the tranquil monochromatic hues of nature during his “green period,” with occasional vibrant red accents gracing the combs of chickens and the headgear of peasant women.
In 1870, he actively participated in the Paris Commune and later sought refuge in London to evade the repercussions that befell the insurgents after these tumultuous events. Upon his return to France, Hébert recommended him to Bonnat, and their bond deepened during their shared sojourn in Rome at the renowned Villa Medici. From the age of 24, he began exhibiting at various French Artists’ Salons, spanning from 1868 to 1900, earning accolades along the way: Bronze in 1884, Silver in 1889, and eventual membership in 1903—a testament to his artistic achievement. In terms of recognition, he received the Legion of Honour from the President of the French Republic in 1902. At this time, he was happily married to Marie-Ange Blanchetete, who was twenty years his junior, and the couple had three children: Hélène, André, and Marius. During the summer months, he retreated to his residence in Normandy, situated in Saint-Vaast-d’Équiqueville near Dieppe. There, he immersed himself in capturing the local landscape and the toil of the countryside, both through his sketches and paintings.
