Charles Cobelle (1902-1998)

Parisian street

Oil on canvas. 23.5" x 19.5 - frame 30.5" x 26

$1500

Charles Cobelle was a modern French master of painting, lithography and a fine muralist born in Alsace-Lorraine, France. He lived and painted in Paris until the late 1920s and established himself within the great tradition of the School of Paris. Best known for his use of open lines within washes of tones and colors, he forged a personal style directly influenced by the works of French Fauvist artist Raoul Dufy, with whom he apprenticed as a young man. He studied at the University of Munich and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, as well as with Marc Chagall, before emigrating to the United States in the late 1920s.

By the 1950s, spurred by the commercial success of his mentor, Raoul Dufy, Cobelle had achieved phenomenal success with his Parisian-influenced style. Throughout his long and prosperous career, Cobelle continued painting lively scenes of regattas, horse races, and French towns even after moving from France and settling in Connecticut, where he eventually gained American citizenship. His paintings are characterized by thin, descriptive line-work over broad patches of bold color. First, Cobelle would map out a scene in blocks of bold, expressive color. Then, he would define the imagery with spontaneous, fluid line work. This imagery, combined with a vibrant palette of expressive colors, creates a world full of verve and wit that effortlessly transcends reality.

 Blue Hill Bay Gallery   11 Tenney Hill, Blue Hill, Maine 04614