Jean Arène Figurative Paintings

French countryside Provencale landscape, Expressionist oil on board by Jean Arene. The painting is signed bottom right, titled, signed and dated to the back and is presented in the o...

French Expressionist oil on wood panel view of a bull in an arena by Jean Arène. The painting is signed bottom left, is painted on an antique wood, chamfered cornered, table top that the artist has reused and is in the original Arène frame crafted by the artist. Jean Arène was a student of August Chabaud, a highly sought after French artist in Provence who in turn took his inspiration from Cezanne. A strong and engaging view of a traditional Camargue, South of France scene where a bull is in an arena and is being trained for 'Free Running'. The audience watch on in awe as the 'subalternos' in the ring avoid being caught by the bull, one of them is seen jumping over the protective wooden wall surrounding the ring. Arène has captured the scene from his own experience of visiting such events which have been such an inspiration to artist such as Goya and Picasso. He has used a limited colour palette to great effect, highlighting the audience figures and central area in greys and whites. The handling of the figures around the outside of the scene is very reminiscent of the works of Raoul Dufy. Bullfighting (from the Greek tauros, "bull" and makheia, "fight") is the way of confronting the bull, either during fights, or during sports or burlesque games such as bull training. The reality of bullfighting shows vary according to practice and country. Bullfighting practices have acquired a stable form, codified rules and real institutionalization. These include the course landaise, the Camargue race in France, the toros coleados in Venezuela and Colombia, the jaripeo in Mexico, the rodeo chileno in Chile, the race de recortadores in Portugal or El rodeo...

A mid-century crayon and chalk drawing of The Carnival parade in Nice by French artist Jean Arène. The work is signed and dated and dedicated bottom right. Presented in fine custom f...

Large French Impressionist oil on canvas of a Bastide in the South of France by Jean Arene. The painting is signed bottom right and signed, dated and titled to the back stretcher. Pr...

A crayon and chalk drawing of a band by French artist Jean Arène. The work is signed and dated top left. Presented in plain metal frame under glass. A charming coloured drawing of a Provencal musical band. The French equivalent of a 'mariachi band'. Two trumpet players, a tuba and a drum. The musicians are all wearing straw 'boater' hats and striped blazers. In the background is the terrace of a café with its green tables. Arene has captured, with a lightness of touch, all the excitement and animation of the scene. Jean Arène was a student of August Chabaud, a highly sought after French artist in Provence who in turn took his inspiration from Cezanne. After a stint in 1949 at the School of Fine Arts in Marseille, then a year in Paris in 1950 with the poster artist Paul Colin, Jean Arène returned to Marseille the following year where he founded the "Group of under 30' with Trofimoff, Trabuc, Zutter and Mela and began painting as an autodidact, while earning a living in advertising and decoration. His first exhibition dates from 1956. Then, from 1957, Jean Arène left the city for the countryside, which served as his base for many trips, often hitchhiking and backpacking, but always accompanied by a pencil and a sketchbook: Spain, Morocco in 1957, West Africa in 1960, (followed by an exhibition in Dakar), Northern Europe (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lapland , Lofoten, Netherlands and Belgium) In 1963 a trip to Tunisia. Then in 1966 his first retrospective in Toulon. In 1970 Arène left for the United States and Mexico, followed two years later by West Africa again: Tassili, the Sahara and Algeria. He exhibited extensively in Provence and the Gard: Aix-en-Provence, Uzès, Avignon, La Ciotat...