ARTS
Workshop Sketch

Jean Peské's eyes are reminiscent of snow and distant forests. But his frequentation of our South and all that he translated with his brush and pencil gave his face folds and reflections which are from us.

His workshop is not high up; quite the contrary at ground level as, because of the weight of the statues, the sculptors' workshops are more likely to be... But if sculpture has its little corner there, it is in addition as we will see.

As soon as I enter, I am assailed by the colors and first of all I have the joy of large decorative friezes, some of fruits in magnificent tones, others of flowers in shades of pink and mauve. These friezes are intended for the decoration of Mr. Baur's villa, in Pontoise. Watermelons, melons, grapes, corollas, it will be good to live under these images!

Already midday appears in these compositions. But here is the landscape of Saint-Clair, near Le Lavandou, after the fire: Favières Beach, Pointe du Gouron, in the same area. This is where the artist has his Provence workshop.

The trays come to his door; his young son has only one hop to make, during the happy days of the holidays to go fishing for bouillabaise. This point of the Gouron was the subject of an Indian ink, acquired by the State for the Office of the Minister of the Navy.

The State acquired other works: the Bouquet of Flowers, for the Ministry of Fine Arts, and the Collines de Bormes, for the Prefecture of Ariège. The armory of the Palais-Bourbon has, in painting, the Cork Oaks of Lavandou, the P.T.T. a view of Avenue de Villiers in Indian ink. Also at the P.T.T, in the Minister's office, a large painting. View of the Old Bishopric of Foix.

But let's wander on an adventure in front of what remains in this workshop. In this box full of watercolors, largely washed watercolors, the Bormes, the tomb of Cazin, in the middle of the grass of this old cemetery where we find Byzantine crosses. A view of the Rade d’Hyères; the Well of Socrates where Cazin came to work; the Colobrières forest, with its chestnut trees.

What an endearing view of Amiens Cathedral, life from afar, reflected between two clumps of trees, in the water of the Somme, where the boats with raised bows sleep which, at their times, transport and disembark there market garden vegetables.

High and gray, here, in a frame, Notre-Dame-de-Paris, a Parvis Notre-Dame, a view of the Park of the Rodin Museum, before the work, useful certainly, but leveling for the gardener...

Beautiful etchings at La Chapelle Saint-François, in Bormes, a view of the Old Port of Marseille. Other views of Marseille intended for Illustration.
Here are the Tamaris, on Lavandou beach.

A surprising grape harvester, study painted on wood. The man empties his basket of grapes into a basket; his turquoise pants, his pink shirt and green backgrounds stand out against the tones of the poplar. This study was one of those which preceded the painting at this year's Salon: The Harvesters' Meal, with the seated peasant drinking from the feast, with a sumptuous collapse of fruit in the foreground and the red skirt of an Italian girl.

We will see this table again at the National Society. Let's not leave the workshop without admiring this chestnut harvest under a gigantic chestnut tree, with the picking right up to the loading on the donkey's back.

In addition to harsh works, Jean Peské created moving Maternity. And he is a happy man: Ms. Peské creates interesting sculptures. I saw from her the head of a newborn baby of living truth and the head of an elderly woman very remarkable. Miss Claudine Peské, as young as she is, wrote verses that I read and in which delicate feelings and real thoughts are enclosed and, I am told, a novel which will appear in a magazine.

A great young man, Peské's son is destined to grow flowers... Jean Peské is a happy artist...

Emile Solari,