You might not think that the son of an English naval officer and an Austrian baroness would be French, but when he turns out to be a painter of the accomplishment of Louis Welden Hawkins (b. Esslingen, 1849 - d. Paris, 1910), the French exercise their expertise at cultural annexation. Intended for a military career, the young Hawkins broke with his family in 1873 and moved to France. After studying at the Academy Julian, he often displayed his work with the Symbolists.
In his later years Hawkins lived in Brittany. Did he feel drawn to a place with ancient connections to his native England? Perhaps. What we see in these paintings is a symbolism tempered to his rural surroundings. In The Orphans (top left) a boy and girl huddle together in a graveyard, regarding what we take to be the grave of a parent. The humble marker seems at one with the muted autumn landscape. When we look up directly, our eye is drawn to a
tabby cat perched on the stone wall, back arched, by some unseen provocation. Just so, in Yellow Umbrella, after our eyes move from the brightness of turning foliage to the figures at the right edge of the picture, then we notice a shadowy form in the water to the left of the trees: a mirage that appears to be a face.
Slightly less enigmatic is 
The Guarder of the Geese who clasps her hands as if in prayer, or lost in her thoughts as she watches her charges, a source of food or income for her rural family. If we are tempted to regard Le Foyer (at right) as a dour image, it is well to remember that the title translates as 'The Welcome'. Something in the Breton way of life spoke to a taste for ambiguity in Hawkins and, through his paintings, speaks to us.
Images:
The Guarder of the Geese who clasps her hands as if in prayer, or lost in her thoughts as she watches her charges, a source of food or income for her rural family. If we are tempted to regard Le Foyer (at right) as a dour image, it is well to remember that the title translates as 'The Welcome'. Something in the Breton way of life spoke to a taste for ambiguity in Hawkins and, through his paintings, speaks to us.Images:
1. The Orphans, 1881, Musee D'Orsay, Paris.
2.La Gardeuese D'Oises,, undated, F. Tahan.
3. Ombrelles Jaunes, c. 1900-1909, Musee du Petit Palais, Paris.
4. Le Foyer, 1899, Musee des Beaux-Arts, Nantes.
4 comments:
Oh, my, these are beautiful. The couple gazing at the marker, the "goose girl" the face in the water. And then the light at the window inviting us in. All very charming and meaningful. - Jeanne
It's quite a different aspect of Hawkins's work from his best known images. If you compare it with the paintings of Jules Bastien Lepage (15 December 2007), it's easier for us, at this distance, to see the Symbolist elements in the Hawkins works. At a glance, they're charming pastoral scenes but they repay close attention. I'm so glad you like them.
I came across your blog of August 2009 and thought that you would find a recent exhibit at Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, Sackville New Brunswick, Canada,of interest. The Gallery is currently showing 10 works by Louis Welden Hawkins from its collection with a wonderful accompanying calendar. I have become an admirer of "Guardian of the Geese".
Bamherst
Thank you for the tip. I will check it out and others can too.
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