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In this issue:
Dear Subscriber
Welcome to this first Newsletter from my painting studio. You are receiving it because we met, you are an Artist or an Art professional, or all at the same time.
“La vérité, c’est qu’un peintre existe la palette à la main et qu’il fait ce qu’il peut. Mais cependant, laissez-moi vous dire, comme tous les vieux, que la théorie est une chose un peu stérilisante et appauvrissante. Ça a déjà été tellement dit que ça ne porte plus. Il faudrait 20 ans de moins.” [Henri Matisse à Pierre Bonnard, 28 Janvier 1935]
“Je suis de votre avis que le seul terrain solide du peintre c’est sa palette et les tons, mais dès que les couleurs réalisent une illusion, on ne les juge plus, et les bétises commencent.” [Bonnard à Matisse, 1er février 1935]
We can translate this as:
“The truth is that a painter exists when he holds his palette in hand and he does what he can. But anyway let me tell you, like any old person, that theory is a little sterilizing and impoverishing. This has been said so much that it does not resonate. I would need to be 20 years younger.” [Henri Matisse to Pierre Bonnard, 28 January 1935]
“I agree with you that the only solid ground for a painter is his palette and tones, but as soon as colours create an illusion, one does not judge them, and silliness starts.” [Bonnard à Matisse, 1er February 1935]
Quoted from the Matisse / Bonnard Correspondence 1925-1946 (Gallimard – ISBN-10: 2070722376 – in French)
If you come to Swindon, you can see some of my latest production in the gallery of the Great Western Hospital. It was well received by the public and attracted a lot of interest from the many visitors.
“The Art to Heal” - Oil paintings and watercolours by Benoit PHILIPPE Until 30th June 2007 - The Great Western Hospital - Marlborough Road Swindon SN3 6BB Wiltshire.
I came across the word “Pochade” when I bought my first pochade box, a few years ago. A pochade box is to the painter what the laptop computer is to the modern office worker. You can carry it everywhere; paint when you have only a moment and it leaves you no excuse if you are not painting. I will come back to this magic box in a later edition.
The Grove Art Dictionary (Oxford University Press) defines a “Pochade” as a “Small, roughly executed oil sketch, painted outside, usually as a preliminary study for a larger, finished studio picture.”
You won’t find the word in more general dictionaries (like the 1872 pages long Collins English Dictionary) and the use of the word seems limited.
A full text search in the digital archives of The Times newspaper, covering articles published between 1795 and 1985 only harvested 3 matches. On 20th August 1924, the Beaux Arts Gallery in London advertised “THE POCHADE EXHIBITION. Small Pictures by Great Modern Artists”. The same advert was published again 3 days later. The third occurrence, in 1964, refers to a play and not a painting.
I turned to French dictionaries to follow the roots of this word. The 6th edition of the Dictionnaire de L'Académie française (dated 1832-5) reads:
“POCHADE. s. f. T. de Peinture. Espèce de croquis;
dessin au lavis, exécuté rapidement, et où l'on se contente d'indiquer les masses.
Une jolie pochade. Ce n'est qu'une pochade.”
(Translation: “Painting. Sort of sketch; drawing with glazes, quickly executed, and
where you only indicate the main planes. A nice pochade. This is only a pochade.”)
I would define a “pochade” in 5 points:
The word pochade is not in fashion, as well as the pochade itself. Why? First, the pochade is perceived as a study for more ambitious works, like a draft of a masterpiece to come rather than a work in its own right. Secondly, many artists like to keep them to themselves because they are more personal, spontaneous and form a collection of vignettes showing the evolution of the artist. Finally, as soon as the work gets bigger, it becomes a plein air painting rather than a pochade, even if the technique remains the same.
There is no reason to overlook pochades. Artists: get them out of the studio and let the pochade exist in its own right. Collectors: this is a great way to start small and build-up your collection.
I just added a page dedicated to pochades and small format works. You can access it by visiting my Oil Paintings Portfolio. Feel free to browse while you’re there.