Color etching by Gaston Eychenne. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest (1914-1061), gift of Pál Majovkszky, 1914.
Biography
Gaston Eychenne (more exactly Ey'chenne, a spelling fantasy which does not help spreading a name in the digital age) was born in a working-class family in Paris in 1873. His paternal grand-father was an Ariège peasant. Gaston received little official art education, but learned first from a family friend, then from an old miniaturist, Cournery (probably Louis Cournerie, 1820-1897). First working as a bank clerk for a living, he started a full-time artistic carrier around 1899, with the help of his friend Georges Godin. He devised original colour etchings of great delicacy which were published by Ch. Hessèle and exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1901, and at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1901 and 1902.
Color etching by Gaston Eychenne, published by Ch. Hessèle. Former collection G. Mellerio. Priv. coll.
He was close to the short lived and rather obscure circle of the Mouvement Esthétique of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which in addition to Godin himself, numbered such distinguished members as Georges Mellerio and Maurice Denis. The friendly relations between Denis and Eychenne are attested by an exquisite letter adorned by a small colour etching and dated June 1901, now in the collection of the Musée Maurice Denis (166J 25, Ms 3823). After confessing the lasting impressions left on him by Brittany, Eychenne states that his "new manner" suits him better, as Denis will certainly find by himself upon his return. As to him, he has been visiting Jazinsky, who has given advice on the use of the burin and new recipes for varnishes which will be most helpful for his next etchings. For their parts, Godin and Mellerio are busy angling around Poissy. Finally, he hopes the air of Loctudy will give rosy colors to Denis' daughters.
Eychenne died in May 1902 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Color etching by Gaston Eychenne, probably published by Ch. Hessèle. Priv. coll.
Bibliography
- L'Estampe et l'Affiche, 15 mai 1899 (EA)
- Catalogue du salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1901 (BA1)
- Catalogue du Salon des Indépendants, Paris, 1901 (Ind)
- Catalogue du salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1902 (BA2)
- Gaston Ey'chenne, by Georges Godin, in Le Mouvement Esthétique, n°3, 15 juin 1902 (GG)
- Gaston Eychenne, by Maurice Denis, L'Occident, n° 7, juin 1902, p. 397 (see text below).
- A travers Cinq Siècles de Gravures 1350-1903, by Gustave Bourcard, 1903 (GB)
- Catalogue de la première exposition de la Société de la gravure originale en couleur, 1904 (GC)
- Inventaire du fonds français (IFF)
Color etching by Gaston Eychenne. Former collection Pál von Majovkszky (Lügt 1911). Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
List of works
- La Carpe [The carp] – color etching, 0.29x0.165, 15 impr. (EA, Ind - ill.)
- Intérieur [Interior] (Ind)
- Les Anémones [The Anemones] – three color etching, 0.275x0.14, 15 impr. (EA, GG - ill.)
- Le Papillon noir [The black Butterfly] – color etching, 0.14x0.275, 15 impr. (EA - ill.)
- Le dieu Pan [The god Pan] – color etching, 0.105x0.14, 15 impr. (EA)
- La jeune fille vêtue de noir [The young Girl dressed in Black] – (BA1, GG)
- La marchande de pommes de terre (Audierne) [The Potatoe Seller (Audierne)] – three plates, embossed and silvered (BA1)
- Petite panthère [Small Panther] – (BA2 - ill.)
- Les maquereaux [The Mackerels] – 0.174x0.378, (coll. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest - ill.)
- Le papillon jaune [The yellow Butterfly] – 0.26x0.181, three plates, embossed and silvered (BA2, GB - ill. - not mentionned in IFF but an impression is present in the BNF collection - ill.)
- Adresse d'Hessèle (papillons noirs) [Hessèle's address card (black butterflies)] – 0.165x0.125 (mentionned in IFF but absent from the BNF collection, coll. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest - ill.)
- Les petites Legrand [The Legrand Girls] – (GC, IFF - ill.)
Color etching by Gaston Eychenne. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
- Portrait de la petite B., Jeune fille vêtue de noir, Oeillets poètes, Ancolus, Animaux, Fleurs, Poissons (Ind)
Color etching by Gaston Eychenne. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
Texts
Color etching by Gaston Eychenne. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
Maurice DENIS.
Latest update: 07/05/2025
