Pardon in Brittany by Gaston La Touche

In the galleries of the Art form of Chicago is a spectacular, painting entitled "Pardon in Brittany" by Gaston La Touche. This painting is lovely in every respect, the figures are polite and gracefully illuminated by candlelight.

Everything about this painting is masterful from the handling of the figures to the use of lighting from the glowing candles. The scene is solemn showing the minister giving dispensation to the faithful. The painting is crowded with citizen and yet because of the mood and the exquisite handling of figures the scene is serene. The sky in the background is a pale violet tone in various hues showing the evening light, but the there is no atmosphere to the sky, it is almost like the back-drop to a stage set. The uncomplicated background is vital in bringing out the intensity of the mood of the painting. The figures on the horse retention a child lead by a horseman are the town of concentration and not the minister who is directly below them.

Turquoise

In the space closest to the viewer you can see the laymen more clearly than any others for there are details of their faces and figures. The rest of the figures (aside from the minister and the horse figures) are vital indefinable. It is clear that most of the group are members of the church as can be denoted from the mass of nun's hats and veils that are the dominant clothing elements in the painting. The figures closest to the front are the darkest and give the aggregate the vital dark tones to adapt the lighting of the candles.

The real branch of this painting is the light not the minister or the horsemen. The use of light in this painting is extraordinary. There are few works of art from any time duration that can match the potential of what lies before us here. The color of the sky is key to complimenting the tones of the various shades of blue that are richly worked all over the lower part of the canvas. The glowing yellow light is exquisitely settled in the middle of the figures but in such a way that it does not increase the yellow hues of the light but rather increases the blue and turquoise tones of the figures. This is a most difficult task because white and yellow are the strongest colors in the spectrum and very difficult to tame. Without doubt this is one of the loveliest pieces in the Art Institute's World-class collection.

Stephen F. Condren - Artist

Pardon in Brittany by Gaston La Touche

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