The Charge (André Devambez, 1902) Et oliemalerie, malet i hånden kun til dig

Identification of The Charge by André Devambez

The Charge is an oil painting by the French artist André Devambez. Also known by the titles La Charge, L’Emeute, or The Riot, the work was probably created in 1902. The canvas depicts a confrontation between a police brigade and a group of demonstrators. This specific encounter takes place on the Boulevard Montmartre in Paris.

The scene captures a moment of movement as the police charge through a crowd. The subject matter focuses on the interaction between the forces of order and the pedestrians during a nighttime event. The setting is a wide urban street characterized by the presence of pedestrians and carriages.

Composition and Visual Elements of the Work

The composition utilizes a high-angle, bird's-eye perspective that looks down upon a wide street. This elevated viewpoint creates a sense of dizzying scale as the scene unfolds across the urban space. A sweeping diagonal arc is formed by the movement of horses and riders, cutting through the center of the frame from the upper left toward the lower right. This kinetic energy is countered by the static, vertical presence of geometric motifs, such as the upright lampposts and the empty circular space in the center of the composition.

Lighting is characterized by a chiaroscuro-like quality, where localized bright light sources such as street lamps and glowing shop windows cast long shadows across the cobblestones. These points of light illuminate patches of the crowd and the street, contrasting sharply against a threatening darkness. A police cordon, caught in the glow of a street lamp, moves toward a dark, indistinct mass of rioters located in the shadows at the bottom of the frame. This movement follows a powerful diagonal line that cuts through the nocturnal setting.

The street surface contains several discarded objects left by the fleeing crowd, including hats, a stick, and a bouquet of flowers. The palette is dominated by deep blues, blacks, and shadows, which are interrupted by splashes of red and white from the clothing of the pedestrians. The texture of the work is painterly, with visible brushstrokes that contribute to the atmospheric haze and the sense of rapid motion within the city setting.

Technique and Material Details

This oil painting is executed on a canvas measuring 127.5 cm × 162.5 cm (50.2 in × 64.0 in). The application of paint is painterly, characterized by visible brushstrokes that define the forms of the cavalry and the pedestrians. These marks contribute to the sense of motion throughout the scene, particularly in the diagonal movement of the horses and the shifting mass of the crowd. The texture of the surface reflects the rapid, directional strokes used to capture the atmospheric haze and the flickering light of the street lamps.

The lighting is achieved through a high-contrast application of color, utilizing deep blues, blacks, and shadows to establish a nocturnal setting. These dark tones are interrupted by bright, warm highlights applied to the street lamps, shop windows, and illuminated kiosks. The interplay of these light sources creates localized patches of brightness against the dark cobblestones and the silhouettes of the figures. The artist uses these tonal shifts to define the spatial depth of the Parisian boulevard.

In the early 20th century, the artist produced a lithographic reproduction of this work. This print allowed for a different mechanical translation of the original oil composition.

History and Provenance of the Painting

The provenance of this oil painting begins with its original sale to a private collector named Georges Lévy. Following this initial acquisition, the work was transferred to the collection of Jean Chiappe. This period of ownership saw the painting held by Chiappe for several decades, specifically between 1927 and 1934.

After its time in private hands, the piece was acquired by the Galerie Plantin-Blondel in Paris. The movement of the work through these various collections eventually led to its acquisition by the national museums of France in 1979. Upon this acquisition, the painting was assigned to the Louvre and subsequently allocated to the Musée d’Orsay.

Documented Interpretations and Debates

The specific cause of the confrontation between the police and the demonstrators remains visually unidentified. While the historical context of the early twentieth century suggests the participants might have been anarchists, trade unionists, nationalists, or opponents of the Dreyfus Affair, the canvas provides no explicit visual indication of their political motivations. This lack of specific iconography allows for various readings regarding the artist's intent. One perspective suggests a stance of neutrality, where the work depicts highly political events without taking a side in the conflict.

Other interpretations focus on the structural organization of the figures within the composition. The contrast between the orderly, methodical movement of the police and the chaotic, disorganized movement of the crowd has led to arguments concerning the nature of the subjects. One view posits that the lack of order within the crowd implies an inherent irrationality, whereas the police represent the imposition of social discipline. This tension is framed by the setting of the Boulevard Montmartre, where the urban environment is caught between the light of modern electric illumination and a threatening darkness.

The historical placement of the work also informs its reception. For a period between 1927 and 1934, the painting was displayed in the office of the police prefect Jean Chiappe, a figure known for his role in the repression of street demonstrations and his promotion of order. This association links the visual representation of state force to the specific political administration of that era.

Exhibition History of the Artwork

The exhibition history of this oil painting begins with its presentation at the Salon de la Société des artistes français in 1902, where it was listed as number 523. Following this initial showing, the work traveled to the United States for the Panama Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915.

In the late twentieth century, the painting was included in the La modernité exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in 1996. More recently, the work was featured in the exhibition titled Enfin le cinéma! Arts, images et spectacles en France, which took place at the musée d'Orsay between 2021 and 2022.

Current Location and Accession Information

The painting is held within the collections of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France. It is part of the national museums of France. While the work is officially assigned to the Louvre, it is currently allocated to the Musée d’Orsay for display and preservation.

The specific accession number for this oil painting is RF 1979 61. This identification number tracks the work's place within the institutional registry of the French national collections.