GUSTAVE CARIOT | LE POÈME DES QUATRE SAISONS, FRUCTIDOR, LE VERGER

Estate of the artist

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Fascinated by the fluctuations of light and color brought about by the changing seasons, Cariot devoted a series of paintings to exploring this theme entitled Le Poème des saisons, with each picture representing a different month.

The title of this particular painting, Le Poème des quatre saisons, Fructidor, Le Verger, alludes to the twelfth month of the French Republican Calendar (created during the French Revolution and briefly reinstated during the 1871 Paris Commune). Fructidor (from Latin fructus, "fruit") began mid-August and lasted until mid-September. In this lush composition, Gustave Cariot deftly conveys the bright atmosphere of low angle light in mid-summer. Initially fascinated with Pointillist technique, here Cariot incorporates elements of this style by employing individual strokes of juxtaposed color to communicate the warm luminescence of the season.