Photo : André Dauchez, DR
André Dauchez (1870-1948) Exhibition, from the river to the ocean
The exhibition "From the river to the ocean" highlights the journey of André Dauchez, a landscape artist recognized in France, particularly in Brittany. His work reveals his attachment to Finistère and Paris. This master of painting was a multi-faceted artist: engraver, illustrator, photographer, and sailor. He managed to chart his own path in the heart of an era marked by a turbulent modernity, finding peace in his creations.
galerie Les Montparnos (Paris 6th)
About
Nicknamed the painter of estuaries and wind, André Dauchez is a landscape artist recognized in France and particularly in Brittany. A multi-talented artist, he was also an engraver, illustrator, photographer, and sailor… Between Paris and Finistère, which he loved so dearly, painting was his haven of peace. He carved out his own path of happy tranquility at the heart of an era entering into a turbulent modernity.
From Paris to Brittany. Coming from a family of lawyers and notaries, André Dauchez trained in Paris — first with the engraver Gaston Rodriguez starting in 1886, then in the studio of painter Luc-Olivier Merson. In 1890, his sister Jeanne (an artist herself) married the painter Lucien Simon. An artistic bond was formed between the two brothers-in-law. André Dauchez discovered Brittany in 1891 during a family trip. In 1894, his father acquired the Ker Gaït property in Bénodet. This beautiful and vast residence at the mouth of the Odet became a place for summer family vacations. Dauchez had his first sailing experiences with his father. Sailing, regattas, fishing, and the still-wild nature nourished the young Parisian's gaze and temperament. This encounter with Finistère and its coastline left a deep mark on him.
In Paris, André Dauchez's apartment-studio was located at 14 rue Saint-Guillaume, in the 7th arrondissement. Following a classic path, he exhibited at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (1894), where he would become a member and later president. In 1898, he married Marie-Thérèse Le Liepvre at the Notre-Dame-des-Champs church in Montparnasse. Their union would produce eight children. In 1900, André Dauchez was one of the founding members of the Société Nouvelle de Peintres et de Sculpteurs. He then regularly exhibited his canvases at the famous Georges Petit gallery. In Belle Époque Paris, artistic effervescence was palpable. The wind of Impressionism and the practice of plein air painting brought a new and liberating breath. André Dauchez carried both these legacies — that of his academic training and that of Impressionism. However, Lucien Simon and André Dauchez would distance themselves from Post-Impressionism. Within the circle of the “Black Band,” driven by Charles Cottet, this small group of friends connected to Brittany and the world of the sea stood out for their use of a dark palette. In the tradition of Courbet, banning idealized subjects, the “Black Band” claimed a realistic painting style, showing all the darkness and difficulties of daily life.
In 1903, André Dauchez bought land in Loctudy, in southern Finistère. He built his home-studio on the dune of the Palud du Cosquer. This land of Armor, shared between sky and sea, nourished his work. Also a sailing enthusiast, Dauchez would own five boats: the Sprat, the Aventure, the Rose des Vents, the Embellie, and the Grande Ourse. In 1928, he would illustrate (among others) André Chevrillon's work, La mer dans les bois (The sea in the woods), with 77 etchings. In the capital, Dauchez became a recognized painter; his submissions to various salons, in France but also in Europe and America, earned him numerous honorary distinctions: he was a silver medalist at the Paris Universal Exhibition (1900); Knight of the Legion of Honor (1911); Painter of the Marine (1922); President of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (1931); Officer of the Legion of Honor (1932)…
“Through the fields and along the shores…”
From Rennes to Douarnenez, André Dauchez painted a preserved and dreamed-of Brittany. His work, sensitive and rigorous, is endowed with a feeling for nature. It unites the sky, the sea, and the land. His painting is breath; it tells the story of wind and light. Dauchez takes us aboard a boat that descends the river to the sea, from darkness to clarity. Great pines rise up and elegantly dress the sky. Riverbanks and shores, André Dauchez paints the edge of the world, the coastal and the familiar. His landscapes, vast and deep, are both calm and bustling. Between order and freedom, the water flows like the passing of time.
Our take on this event
Trade the city noise for the wild, windswept horizons of André Dauchez, a master at capturing the raw beauty of the Breton coast. Through his deep, atmospheric canvases, you will discover the serene world of an artist who turned away from modern chaos to find peace on the water. It is the perfect weekend escape for those who appreciate soulful landscapes.
Galerie Les Montparnos presents a retrospective exhibition dedicated to André Dauchez, the renowned painter of estuaries and wind. This showcase highlights his dual artistic identity, bridging his life in Paris with his profound connection to the landscapes of Brittany. Through his paintings, engravings, and photographs, discover the work of a master who captured the shifting light and nature of the coast. The exhibition runs from November 19 to December 23, 2026. Admission is free, and the gallery is fully accessible to wheelchair users, as well as those with hearing or cognitive impairments.
Located on Rue Stanislas in the 6th arrondissement, Galerie Les Montparnos hosts a comprehensive exhibition of works by André Dauchez (1870-1948). Known for his deep ties to both the Parisian art scene and the Finistère coast in Brittany, Dauchez developed a unique realist style, distancing himself from post-impressionism to favor a somber, expressive palette. As both a navigator and an artist, his deep intimacy with the sea and the wind informs the depth of his landscapes.
The exhibition explores the career of this multifaceted creator, who was a member of the 'Bande noire' and eventually served as president of the Société nationale des Beaux-Arts. Visitors can experience the transition in his work from the urban intensity of Belle Époque Paris to the quiet, rugged beauty of the Breton shoreline, which served as his constant source of inspiration.
The gallery welcomes visitors from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 18:30, between November 19 and December 23, 2026. Entry is free of charge. The venue is fully equipped to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs and provides tailored facilities for guests who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have cognitive disabilities.
