Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
Tentation de saint Antoine/ Temptation of Saint Anthony, circa 1888
Oil on canvas
23 x 47 cm
Private collection
The Temptation of Saint Anthony is an often-repeated subject in history of art and literature, concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony the Great during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert. Anthony's temptation is first discussed by Athanasius of Alexandria, Anthony's contemporary, and from then became a popular theme in Western culture. More on the Temptation of Saint Anthony
François Paul Auguste Quinsac (2 March 1858, Bordeaux – May 1929, Bordeaux) was a French painter of the French School known as Academic art, a specialist in mythological and allegorical subjects, figures and landscapes. He studied with Jean-Léon Gérôme and later he became professor at the School of Fine Arts of Bordeaux (École des beaux-arts de Bordeaux [fr]).
Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
Reclining Nude with Putti, c. 1901
Oil on canvas
23 x 47 cm
Private collection
A Cherub, fairly interchangeably with Putti, Cupid, Eros, and Amorini is a winged infant child popular in Greek and Roman art. Usually male, and often one will appear in Greek art as a little Eros accompanying Aphrodite, sometimes Bacchanalian. The Roman version is a Cupid, son of Venus, goddess of Love, and herself the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite. After Classical times, they were not so popular, in sculpture at least, until Renaissance times when they returned in force as a recognised part of Christian art, sometimes indicating a young angel, often musical, but generally decorative rather than greatly symbolic of anything in particular. They were again revived in the 19th Century, lasting through Edwardian times before going into sharp decline after World War I. Allegorically, if not religious, our 19th and early 20th Century Cherubs or Putti may be linked with Love, or reflecting various of the normal grown-up allegorical statues. More on Putti
Paul Quinsac (1856-1929)
Death of Polyxena, c. 1882
Oil on canvas
Private collection
The beautiful, accomplished daughter of Priam and Hecuba, Polyxena was an object of fervent desire for the hero Achilles. Her brother, Hector, opposed their marriage and was killed when he challenged Achilles. In retaliation, Polyxena betrayed her lover, revealing the secret of his vulnerable heel to Paris. Upon Achilles' death, her grief and guilt was so great that she sacrificed herself at the foot of his tomb, depicted by Quinsac as a formidable structure of gray stone carved with a scene of a heroic battle.
Some say the sacrifice was not voluntary: instead, Achilles' ghost legendarily appeared before his son Neoptolemus, demanding he stab Polyxena to death. Perhaps it is this young boy who sits at the maiden's side, the knife thrown to the grass next to him. Despite the variations in the tale and this picture's composition, the artist is true to Seneca's description of Polyxena as a strong, valiant woman who does not shy away from her doom; particularly beautiful in her death, her “blood having been shed did not stand or flow on the surface of the earth; the savage mound… swallowed and drank all of the blood.” In its mixture of ancient narrative, passion, and sensuality, Quinsac created the ideal large-scale canvas to enthrall viewers eager for these incredible illustrations. More on this painting
Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
Judith, circa 1900
Oil on canvas
Private collection
The Book of Judith is the Old Testament of the Bible. The story revolves around Judith, a daring and beautiful widow, who is upset with her Jewish countrymen for not trusting God to deliver them from their foreign conquerors. She goes with her loyal maid to the camp of the enemy general, Holofernes, with whom she slowly ingratiates herself, promising him information on the Israelites. Gaining his trust, she is allowed access to his tent one night as he lies in a drunken stupor. She decapitates him, then takes his head back to her fearful countrymen. The Assyrians, having lost their leader, disperse, and Israel is saved. Though she is courted by many, Judith remains unmarried for the rest of her life. More on The Book of Judith
Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
Nymphs in the Forest
Oil on canvas
Height: 42 cm (16.5 in); Width: 55.2 cm (21.7 in)
Private collection
A nymph in Greek and Latin mythology is a minor female nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from other goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing; their amorous freedom sets them apart from the restricted and chaste wives and daughters of the Greek polis. They are beloved by many and dwell in mountainous regions and forests by lakes and streams. Although they would never die of old age nor illness, and could give birth to fully immortal children if mated to a god, they themselves were not necessarily immortal, and could be beholden to death in various forms. More on nymphs
Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
Au Moulin de la Galette, c. 1887
Oil on canvas
39½ x 28½ in. (100.3 x 72.4 cm.)
Private collection
The Moulin de la Galette is a windmill and associated businesses situated near the top of the district of Montmartre in Paris. Since the 17th century the windmill has been known for more than just its milling capabilities. Nineteenth-century owners and millers, the Debray family, made a brown bread, galette, which became popular and thus the name of the windmill and its businesses, which have included a famous guinguette and restaurant. In the 19th century, Le Moulin de la Galette represented diversion for Parisians seeking entertainment, a glass of wine and bread made from flour ground by the windmill. Artists, such as Renoir, van Gogh, and Pissarro have immortalized Le Moulin de la Galette; likely the most notable was Renoir's festive painting, Bal du moulin de la Galette. More on The Moulin de la Galette
Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
La Fortune Passe.... Guidee Par la Sagesse et L'Economie. Elle Repand Ses dons Sur les Travailleurs/ Fortune Passes .... Guided By Wisdom and Economy. She Spreads Her Gifts On The Workers, c. 1912
Oil on canvas
192.5 x 415 cm
Private collection
In this mural-sized painting, Paul-François Quinsac has imagined an allegory of Fortune. His blindfolded Charity is perched atop a winged wheel, guided by figures of Wisdom and Economy and dispensing coins to tool-wielding workers below. This potent symbolism is heightened by a tour-de-force of atmospheric effect, with an other-worldly green glow emanating from the right, piercing a composition of pink, violet and blue.
This painting was once an impressive addition to the walls of the central savings bank (caisse d’épargne) in Bordeaux. More on this painting
From 1880 he exhibited regularly to the Hall of the French Artists of which he became a member in 1887. He received an honourable mention during the exhibition of 1884, a medal of third class to the World Fair of 1889, as well as a travel grant. He was named Chevalier de la légion d’Honneur in 1903. He died in Bordeaux in May 1929, aged 71. More on François Paul Auguste Quinsac
Paul François Quinsac (1858–1929)
IN THE STUDIO, c. 1891
Oil on canvas
42 1/2 by 29 3/4 in., 108 by 75.5 cm
Private collection
It is 1891 in Quinsac’s studio. The hub of experimentation and creativity, the studio broadcasts a bountiful array of colorful props. Sumptuous exotic fabrics are hastily strewn among unfinished canvases. Easels and mirrors tangle with disparate pieces of furniture. These commingled objects comprise the belly of the artist’s space. The Japoniste parasol in the upper left and the corresponding fan below reveal the far-reaching influence of the Japanese aesthetic in French art. In the center of this flux is the seductive model, pivotal to the artistic enterprise, seated disrobed amid the artist’s clutter. More on this painting
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