Fred Pailhes 1902 - 1991. French. Promenade Le Havre Harbour. 1950s Oil On Panel. Framed.

Alfred Henri Pailhès
French ( b.1902 - d.1991 ).
Rendez-Vous des Havrais Pour Leur Promenade Dominicale
Oil on Panel.
Signed lower left.
Image size 12.4 inches x 15.6 inches ( 31.5cm x 39.5cm ).
Frame size 17.7 inches x 21.3 inches ( 45cm x 54cm ).

French artist Alfred Henri Pailhès was born in Le Havre on November 22nd 1902. He began drawing at a very young age and continued producing wonderful art throughout his long life. 
Pailhès is primarily known for his paintings of ports and seascapes, including Marseille and Nice in the South of France and Le Havre and Honfleur in the north. 
He is also known for his relaxed and often humorous style which captures the life of ordinary people; walking on the streets, dining in bistros and enjoying the life of music halls. He painted dancing girls and sailors, erotic women and vagabonds, seeing beauty in the movement and colour of life. 

His work has been exhibited at the Musée Monparnasse and at the Chateaux Borély in Marseille. Pailhès died on 15 May 1991 in his home city of Le Havre. Since 1986 Pailhès works have been auctioned over 700 times and continue to increase in value. Today his works are highly collectable.

© Big Sky Fine Art

This original oil on board by twentieth century French artist Fred Pailhès depicts the port of Le Havre. It is signed by the artist in the lower left section. This painting is believed to date from the 1950s. 

We see the tall buildings around the harbour and four simple sailing vessels docked in the port. There are half a dozen figures walking around the harbour, on their Sunday stroll. The sky is slightly overcast, giving a lovely depth to the colours, particularly the blues and oranges, and making the reflections in the water sing.

The Port of Le Havre was a simple fishing village until 1517, when the King, Francis I, had a harbour built there named Havre-de-Grâce. The town was enlarged and fortified under Cardinal de Richelieu and Louis XVI, and then it was further improved under Napoleon III in the mid-19th century. Almost three quarters of Le Havre’s buildings were destroyed during WWII but were subsequently rebuilt. Pailhès, a native of this seafaring city, was an expert in capturing the atmosphere. 

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