As I have mentioned in my previous blogs (see Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4), my great-grandfather, Robert, was a man of many passions.
Every chance he had, every pretext he could find, was a great excuse to draw and paint.
Looking at the following paintings representing the river "Grosne", my mom seems to have plunged right back into her childhood holidays.
Through my great-grandfather's paintings I will attempt to share with you her memories of these distant times (1950's and 60's).
Every summer, my mom went on vacation to her grandparents' house, along with one of her sisters.
Cycling was one of their main occupation, as all the crazy amounts of games and activities kids have today did not exist back then. Her older sister would usually ride my great-grandmother's bike, while my mom had the only "little" bike - which was still too big for her (she says laughing). So she was forced to ride out of the saddle, which, unfortunately left her lower back covered in bruises by the end of the day.
"The saddle hit my buttocks with every stroke of pedal" - this is the literal translation of her own words (from French). I just had to add it, it was too funny.
When my great-grandfather was in the mood to go draw or paint on the side of the river Grosne and bring the girls along, it was not such an enjoyable ride (this time by car). My great-grandmother, "Mamie" as we called her, hurried to prepare snacks, drinks, swim suits and towels, while on his side, my great-grandfather would gather all his tools and painting gear.
In the car, no one would talk except for "mamie", from time to time. She mainly helped my great-grandfather know if any cars were coming to his right, as he had lost his right eye in the war (and had a glass eye... nothing too creepy don't worry haha).
Once on site they were free to swim and have fun.
Meanwhile, my great-grandfather would find a spot away from the swimmers, open his fold-out chair, sit down, take out his sketchbook or watercolor notebook from his old leather briefcase and begin to draw.
If he had not succeeded in finding a shaded area, he would pull a handkerchief out of his pocket, make knots at each end and place it on his head. These knots probably served to make the handkerchief a little heavier and to bend it slightly to fit nicely on his bald head without falling.
The drawings and paintings that follow reflect in three different categories the style of his works.
Watercolors
During the summer time, in the small villages of Burgundy like in many other, people seek water areas to cool off. The banks of the river "Grosne" are a very popular choice - still to this day.
The people you see here are most certainly locals. The couple in the foreground came to have a picnic. They brought their blanket, fold-out chair, probably a bit of charcuterie (cold cuts), cheese, and of course a baguette and some wine! Everyone seems to have found shade near the two big willow trees. A well-fed man is having a little rest on the ground near the couple (my mom says it's a pregnant lady... I don't know what you see but that looks more like a drunk chubby dude to me).
In the background a woman, facing the river, sitting on a chair, watches the children bathe. On the right, a girl lays on her stomach while reading and sunbathing. The atmosphere is friendly.
By the looks of this crowded beach, it certainly is summer by the sea.
The people represented look young. They are enjoying themselves, talking and getting a tan. The painting sets a festive, holiday mood.
If we place these 2 watercolors side by side, we can see 2 main differences in people's habits:
At sea, city dwellers stay on the beach in the scorching hot sun and seem to enjoy much more movement, while on the river banks, the people of the countryside look for shade and tranquility (and booze)
Drawings
Boubi or Boobi (don't laugh... that was his name) is waiting for his master who left him at the entrance with his umbrella, hat and gloves. Boubi, is a brown dachshund and is well trained. He does not go on the carpet, he knows it's forbidden.
There are very few pencil colored drawings left by my great-grandfather - this is one of the rare ones. I like it for its simplicity and also because it looks like one of the earlier ones he would have made to practise depth and perspective. Like most of his drawings, no date can be found.
Oil on canvas
This painting must have been done in autumn, or at least that's the impression it gives by looking at the color of the foliage and its orange shades.
The banks have also become yellow and pale green. We feel the sweetness of a late season and the gentle flow of the river which, following a very hot summer, seems to have lowered in water level.
My great-grandfather liked to come and paint in this area. He seemed to find here exactly what he was looking for. It could be tranquility, like the day he painted this painting, or bathers when he drew scenes of holidays on the river banks.
Luckily, scenes like these do not look strange to me. Villages and natural areas in Burgundy have remained similar to what my great-grandfather would have experienced throughout his later life. With a little more maintenance done today, but just as peaceful.
 Our unexpected journey |  The treasures left behind by my great-grandfather #4 |
|---|---|
 The fragility of life |  REUNION ISLAND - the beginnings of an adventure |
“Learning is not a race for information, it is a walk of discovery” - Jane Healy
