13/6/24 - Fundraising - Rennes, Musée des Beaux-Arts - Youth is no obstacle to excellence, and some precocious artists produced masterpieces from an early age. But the most moving are those who, having died very young, nevertheless left behind a handful of remarkable works.
We are talking here about a painter who is virtually unknown, and for good reason: he died at the age of seventeen, just a few days before his eighteenth birthday. However, the few paintings and drawings that have survived, as well as his short biography, show that he would probably have had a brilliant career.
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- 1. Louis-François Roulin (1821-1839)
The Death of the Consul Octavius, 1835
Oil on canvas - 32.5 x 40.5 cm
Paris, École nationale
supérieure des Beaux-Arts
Photo: Ensba - See the image in its page
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- 2. Louis-François Roulin (1821-1839)
Tobie Restoring His Father’s Sight, 1835
Oil on canvas - 43.5 x 55.5 cm
Angers, Musée des Beaux-Arts
Photo: Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Angers - See the image in its page
This is Louis-François Roulin, who was a pupil of Ingres and Alexandre Colin. Born in a commune near Rennes, where his father, a scientist and illustrator of Georges Cuvier’s Règne animal, came from, he is mentioned as early as 1832 in the registers of students at the École des Beaux-Arts, at the age of eleven. And it was in 1834, when he was just thirteen, that he entered the Prix de Rome competition for the first time, even passing the first sketch test, although he failed the second, for the painted figure. The following year, he won 1st prize in the sketching competition with The Death of Consul Octavius (ill. 1) and qualified, at the age of fourteen, to enter the final round of the Prix de Rome. Although he did not win - no prize was awarded that year - he was nevertheless crowned 1st Second Prize with Tobie Restoring His Father’s Sight, a sketch of which is kept at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Angers (ill. 2). In 1836, although he had again passed the first two tests, he failed again. This was only his third attempt, and he was only fifteen years old. There is no doubt that if he had persisted, he would have won. In 1838, he left for Rome, no doubt to perfect his skills before attempting the competition again. But he fell ill and died the following year in 1839.
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- 3. Louis-François Roulin (1821-1839)
Moses on the Mountain, 1839
Oil on canvas - 310 x 225 cm
Le Blanc, Église Saint-Génitour
Photo: Inventaire général région Centre - See the image in its page
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- 4. Louis-François Roulin (1821-1839)
Faith
Pencil and watercolour
watercolour highlights - 19.5 x 11.8 cm
Paris, private collection
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
In 1838 he had exhibited a Moses Exposed on the Waters (location unknown) and in 1839 another painting, again Moses but this time aged, on the mountain. The painting was acquired by the State, which sent it to the church of Saint-Génitour in Le Blanc in the Indre department, where it remains to this day. The photo, unfortunately of mediocre quality, which can be seen on the Palissy database (ill. 3), shows the authority already displayed by this young painter. We might also mention a watercolour that went on sale a few years ago at Bonhams in New York, and an unpublished drawing representing Faith (ill. 4) that is in a private collection in Paris.
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- 5. Louis-François Roulin (1821-1839)
Self-portrait, 1837
Oil on canvas - 51 x 43.5 cm
Private collection
Photo: Guillaume Kazerouni - See the image in its page
A few years ago, with the help of the association La Sauvegarde de l’Art français, we launched a fundraising campaign to acquire a painting by Eugène Devéria which now hangs in the large format room at the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans (see news item of 21/2/18). We are beginning a similar operation today (the fundraising page is here) with the purchase of a superb Self-portrait by Louis-François Roulin (ill. 5) as a gift to the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rennes. The price is very reasonable: only €4 500. The work belongs to a private individual, one of the artist’s heirs, who spontaneously proposed it to Guillaume Kazerouni, who is in charge of the Breton museum’s old collections. The latter was quite rightly enthusiastic about this Autoportrait, which will have its rightful place in the museum. Not just because Roulin was from Rennes, but above all because the painting, dated 1837, is striking, with a romanticism that is all the more powerful when you consider that the young painter was close to death. Even though he was to die only two years later, his sickly complexion can be seen in his tired features and earthy complexion.
It is worth noting that the Rennes museum, which did not own any works from Roulin’s smaller output, does have a Jean-Germain Drouais collection. This pupil of David, in whom the latter placed great hopes, died in Rome, also very young like Roulin, at the age of twenty-five.
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- 6. Louis-François Roulin (1821-1839)
Self-portrait, 1837
Oil on canvas - 51 x 43.5 cm
Private collection
Photo: Guillaume Kazerouni - See the image in its page
We would therefore like to thank all the readers of La Tribune de l’Art whose donations will enable us to offer this beautiful painting to the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rennes. If the sum of €4,500 is exceeded, the additional amount will be used to finance the restoration (fairly light as the work is in good condition, and on its original canvas) and that of the frame (ill. 6).