FINE 19th and 20th CENTURY BRITISH and EUROPEAN PAINTINGS

+44 (0)20 7734 9984  /  +44 (0)7740 958699Email

Albert Gabriel Rigolot

1862 - 1932

Albert Gabriel Rigolot was born in Paris on the 28th November, 1862.

He studied and revered the work of the Old Masters and they greatly influenced his own artistic development. Rigolot's technique was measured and precise and he paid great attention to detail. His naturalistic style and treatment of light is reminiscent of the Barbizon School - this is best illustrated in his marvellous portrayals of sunlit ponds and rivers. Rigolot is best known for his landscape and alfresco pictures. His paintings are often vignettes of rural French life - he was particularly fond of painting peasants in Brittany. These characteristically show a warmth and sensitivity which illustrate Rigolot's affection for his subject matter. Harvest scenes were another of his favourite themes - these show equal competence in painting figures and mastering depth and composition in landscape. Rigolot travelled to Algeria, as was fashionable amongst artists in the late 19th Century. He painted many Oriental scenes and was consequently elected a member of the French Society of Orientalists. These works show the sophisticated, poetic vision that was the hallmark of the Orientalists and is seen in the work of great artists such as Gerome and David Roberts. Rigolot was the pupil of both Pelouse and d'Allonge.

He was a member of the Societe des Artistes Francais from 1888, and from 1886 he exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon. In 1889 he was recommended for the Honours List - he received a Medaille de Troisieme Classe in 1891, a Medaille Deuxieme Classe in 1892, a Medaille d'Argent in 1900 and the Legion of Honour in 1901. This recognition from the state illustrates Rigolot's importance as a cultural figure at the time. His work epitomises French taste and ideals of the period. He had a studio on Rue Singer in Paris, in the XVI arrondissement. He died in Paris on the 25th April 1932.

Exhibited : Paris Salon

Museums : Musee de Nancy, Rouen - Luxembourg Museum - Palais de Beaux-Arts, Paris View paintings Back to list