Gaston Balande, 
French 1880-1970 - 
Camping, 1934; 
oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right...

Gaston Balande, 
French 1880-1970 - 

Camping, 1934; 

oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right 'Balande 1934', 170.7 x 150.3 cm (ARR) 

Provenance: 
a Private Collection of French Naturalist Painters 

Exhibited: 
Salon de la Société Nationale de Beaux-Arts, Paris, 'Salon National', 1935; 
Berlin, 'Exposition de l'Etat', 1936; 
Rouen, 'XXVIIème Exposition de la Société des Artistes Rouennais', March-April 1936, no.2 illus. p.16-17; 
Liège, 'Exposition Internationale de l'Eau' May-September 1939 (classe des Beaux-Arts);  
Paris, '29ème Exposition du Cercle des Gobelins et des Beaux-Arts du XIIIème Arrondissement', May 1954, no.82; 
The Fleming Collection, London, 'French Naturalist Painters 1890-1950', June-July 2012 
`
Literature: 
P. Clerc, B. Dumas et E. van de Putte, 'The French Naturalist Painters', Milan, 2012, cat. no.63, illus. on cover and p.5 and 152 

Note: 
Balande’s masterpiece, ‘Camping, 1934’ is a perfect encapsulation of everyday joy, displaying the optimism of the interwar years. Light permeates through every brushstroke of the composition, the gaze of the figures in the foreground directing our view towards the beautiful landscape beyond. Balande was heavily influenced by the bucolic scenes and scale of Puvis de Chavannes, but instead of his classical figures here Balande grounds the work in contemporary life and ideals of family leisure time. 

The work was exhibited widely during the 1930s and in 1935 led to the artist being awarded 'sociétaire' at the Salon. During its first exhibition, the work was titled 'Campement sur les bords de la Seine', but this was soon changed simply to 'Camping', reflecting the institution of paid holidays in 1936 in France and with it the popularisation of family holidays.  Most recently, the work was the centerpiece and cover-work of the exhibition at The Fleming Collection in 2012. 

Related works are now in major French public collections, including 'Un beau jour d'ete, 1921' (Musée National d'Art Moderne) and 'Improvisation, 1923' (Musée des Beaux-Artes, Pau). The success of these large scale scenes would also lead to public commissions for the cruise liners 'Normandie' and 'De Grasse', as well as a school in the La Rochelle region and the Town Hall at Aubervilliers. A similar work, 'La joie de vivre, 1945' recently sold at auction in Fontainebleau in 2019 for €25,000 hammer.