The departure

Description of the artwork

After a difficult start at the 1890 and 1891 Salons, Guirand de Scevola was finally noticed by the art dealer M. Bonjean, who recognized his talent and decided to buy his work. Now better off financially, the young man who had chosen to become a painter despite his parents' opposition could devote himself fully to his art.
His portraits, which were to become his trademark, received particular critical acclaim from 1895 onwards.

At the very beginning of the century, Guirand de Scevola produced several portraits that can easily be compared to our painting. He often depicts the same model with clear eyes, sometimes in medal profile, hands clasped in prayer or fingers crossed. Guirand de Scevola, a watercolorist with an astonishing technique, used very diluted oil paint to paint the backgrounds and the woman's dress, playing with the grain of the canvas. With energetic repeats of blue on his green background, he manages to render the vibrant moiré of the dress fabric, and the ripple of the waves. The heavy kelp-covered rocks are uncovered by the tide. The moment is charged with emotion, as we sense the presence of an offshore flotilla.
To accentuate the mystery of the scene, the painter uses anamorphosis. In the crossed fingers of this medieval princess appears the face of her beloved, praying that this departure is not the end.

Origin

Private Collection, France