THE SHIPWRECK

Evoking distress and drama, The Shipwreck captures a disastrous expedition at sea. The magnum opus of André Bauchant’s oeuvre, this sophisticated and dynamic painting was exhibited in several significant exhibitions highlighting self-taught artists, notably the groundbreaking and important 1938 Museum of Modern Art’s Masters of Popular Painting: Modern Primitives of Europe and America. This striking painting stands out in Bauchant’s body of work. He primarily painted lush landscapes and flower arrangements with saturated colors, influenced by his work as a gardener. The Shipwreck highlights a rare departure from the artist’s charming oeuvre. Bauchant meticulously applies subdued colors with varied brushwork to create an energetic composition. He encapsulates powerful gusts of wind through the figures’ long sweeping hair and turbulent sea. His swift strokes of varying blues and browns create a harmonious composition. The waves rise to their peaks, crashing against rocks or receding into the abyss, perpetually repeating their motions. The flat perspective and almost decorative quality is characteristic to his painting. This work highlights Bauchant’s ability to paint a highly textured composition without the use of impasto. His imaginative and simplistic approach reflects his distance from academic constructs. Bauchant’s artistic talent was first discovered during World War I when he served as a draftsman and map-maker. Demobilized in service, he was discharged in 1919 and began painting that same year. He quickly gained recognition by significant artists and dealers such as Le Corbusier, Amédée Ozenfant, and Wilhelm Uhde.