Gustave Cariot

Estate of the artist
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Paris, Salon des Indépendants, circa 1902-03 
Paris, Galerie Delpierre, circa 1902-03 

The canvas is unlined. The surface bears an incredible rich and textured impasto. Under UV light a very small section of inpainting is visible in the lower right corner and some of the original pigments fluoresce, otherwise fine. This work is in very good condition.
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Inspired by Monet’s famous studies of haystacks and the Rouen cathedral, Gustave Cariot was fascinated by the fluctuations of light and color brought about by the changing seasons. He devoted two series of paintings to exploring this theme. Entitled Le Poème des saisons, with each picture representing a different month, these paintings were exhibited together at the 1903 Salon des Indépendants. It was there, as the artist’s correspondence reveals, that these pictures would catch the eye of two of the most important collectors of the time, Serguei Dmitrievitch Cheremeteff and Armand Cabrol.

The title of this particular painting, Fructidor, alludes to the twelfth month of the French Republican Calendar (created during the French Revolution and briefly reinstated during the 1871 Paris Commune). Fructidor, which derives its name from the Latin word fructus, began in late August and lasted thirty days. In this lush composition, Gustave Cariot deftly conveys the sensual, languorous atmosphere of late summer when foliage is at is fullest and trees and vines are abundant with ripened fruit. Initially fascinated with Pointillist technique, here Cariot incorporates elements this style by employing individual strokes of juxtaposed color to communicate the warm luminescence of the season.