Jean Yves du Boispéan and Antoine le Gouvello are exhibiting at the Château de Bourgon from July 22 to August 12, 2011. Jean Yves du Boispéan: A 54-year-old self-taught artist, his way of thinking often leads him to see the humorous side of things or the emotional nuances of situations, inspiring him to capture them on paper.
He explores hunting, gastronomy, golf, and country life… He is an artist highly regarded by people of all ages, both in France and abroad. His work has been featured in numerous private exhibitions, hunting and garden festivals, and home decor stores, and he won second prize in the drawing category of the Société de Vénerie’s centennial competition.
Antoine le Gouvello: He has always had a pencil or a paintbrush in his hand. He wanted to study fine arts, but his parents were against it, so he attended a school of international business instead. For more than 20 years, as an export director, he traveled all over the world.
That didn’t stop him from drawing and learning watercolor painting, a medium he would never give up. On his long-distance trips, he took his artwork with him and exhibited it in New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Cape Town, London, Edinburgh, and more—and he sold his work!While stationed in Castres, he organized an exhibition that was so successful that he received commissions to create new works!
Married with three young children, he felt it was “risky” to go into business for himself right away. It wasn’t until 2004 that he took the plunge: he became a “watercolorist and animal painter.” Commissions started coming in, and exhibitions became more frequent.Today, he is known for his work in the genres of animal art, seascapes, landscapes, and property paintings.
Léon Danchin and others have greatly influenced him, as have the marine painters and watercolorists of the 19th century. “I do a lot of commissioned work—portraits of dogs, horses, and other animals, as well as family estates, manors, and castles—where I enjoy meeting the owners and collaborating with them to determine the spirit in which the watercolor (which may be large-scale) will be interpreted.” His work is realistic, yet always imbued with a touch of poetry and freshness. “I place great importance on the quality of my relationships with people, and I’m always moved to see, here and there, some of my watercolors ‘taking pride of place’ in a display case or prominently hung on a wall.”