As for the post, its rhythm remains annual, the biographical details that still emerge are more difficult to access and also increasingly anecdotal in nature (e.g. recently, the brand of the car of G. Grignard (a Renault, 31 CV) and the first name of his chauffeur (Franz)...). This year, the post, devoted to un Eté à la Campagne, though a little bold, also highlighted the originality of the work of Brouet as an illustrator. To tell the truth, I have long paid little attention to the illustrations, but several enthusiasts have finally convinced me that Brouet's plates are, for some select works, of prime interest. And especially in the early illustrations, the originality of the artist is not in doubt. So in the future I will be looking into this aspect of his œuvre a little more.
In the meantime, here are the subjects that are close to my heart at the moment, and which could be developed in future posts: Richard Ranft, his elder, and who is thought to have collaborated with Brouet for the plates after Turner - his activities at the turn of the century are close to that of Brouet-Dax; the neo-naturalists who supported him in the mid-war years, Gustave Geffroy, Lucien Descaves and also the extraordinary journalist Gaston de Pawlowski; not without links to the previous ones, the Zone as seen (and experienced...) by Brouet; and finally a more technical subject, etching and metamorphoses - erasing, cutting and other transformations applied to the plates...) by Brouet... With a few other obligatory themes such as the circus (he lived just behind the Hippodrome de Montmartre), enough to last for... quite a few years!
Alors, bonne année 2022 !
