Ferdinand Roybet

FERDINAND ROYBET (Uzès, France, 1840 - Paris, 1920).
"The cellist".
Oil on panel.
Signed in the upper right corner.
Measurements: 46 x 38 cm.

Ferdinand Roybet made paintings of musicians who remember, by their setting and excellent workmanship, to the Dutch painting and of the XVII century. This is the case in this work, where the artist offers us the image of a musician playing a cello. One of the most outstanding aspects of the painting is the successful treatment of color and light. He uses a chromatic range of warm ochers, earthy and reddish tones, which he punctuates and contrasts, however, with the bright white of the suit's collar. The artist, on the other hand, reveals himself as a great draughtsman and shows his interest in psychological introspection, offering us the image of a concentrated musician in accordance with the moment of calm he enjoys. Every detail of the costume has been described in its just qualities, as was usual in Roybet's precious plastic art.

A French painter and engraver known mainly for his historical and genre scenes, Ferdinand Roybet moved to Paris in 1983, where he studied with Jean-Georges Vibert and copied the Old Masters at the Louvre. In 1865, after some financial difficulties, he presented two paintings at the Salon and, the following year, achieved great success when one of his works was acquired by Mathilde Bonaparte for 5,000 francs. He traveled to Belgium and Algeria. After his death in 1921, his paintings were the subject of a special exhibition at the Salon. Six years later, Consuelo Fould, owner of a large number of Roybet's paintings, created the Roybet Fould Museum in Courbevoie.