Calabi Gallery

Featuring an Eclectic Array of Primarily 20th Century Artwork

Christian Quintin

Christian Quintin (France, Contemporary)

Scroll down for larger views and artwork information. Prices available on request.

     

   

     

 

         

   

 

L’Eclaircie by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 24 x 30

“ L’Eclaircie (a brief interval where the sun appears among the clouds). Struggling in the waves of a moody ocean, a desolate and rocky island appears. Sudden rays of sun unveil a bright and narrow beach surrounded by a necklace of green foliage, bringing a feeling of hope. “

Hope, A Year Of Solitude by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 24 x 30

” A message of hope in a year of fires, virus and political upheaval. A couple gazes at the infinite cosmic sky while a blue tree in the foreground has fallen. A bright symbolic and surreal image of loving inspiration. “

Leaves of Absence by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 26 x 20

” Painted at my friend Amanda’s amazing studio among the trees, I chose to not paint their leaves, thus the title, but preferred to show them as graceful dancers lit by the late afternoon sun. “

The Embrace (L’Embrasses) by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 26 x 20

” A bright presence illuminates a crystalline mountain, its light becoming waterfalls. A sense of transformation, oneness and passing as all we are becomes All there is. “

Lake View by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 44 x 33

” A secluded terrace and the shade of a large tree, above an elegant cliff reflected in a quiet lake. The rock formations are crystalline, painted with cadmium reds and magentas. It is a secluded place that I envision and where wish to be, a place of peace and beauty. Nearly 6 months of work, the brush work is invisible. “

The Aviary by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 43 x 33

” This is undoubtedly one of the most complex of my work. It is a self portrait of my consciousness, where my face fits perfectly within the shape of a crystal, where my neck is the trunk of a tree, my hair its foliage and my face the inside of a room. These superimposed layers required much sketching and five to six months of work and where the brushwork aims to be invisible. I paint what I see and feel. “

Les Amants (Lovers) by Christian Quintin, Oil on French polyester canvas stretched over mahogany wood panel, 30 x 24

” A lover’s kiss between two loving trees. The frame that I painted is an integral part of the art. “

A Moment of Peace by Christian Quintin, Oil on linen canvas, 55 x 44

” I was born in Bretagne, France, near the sea and find much of my inspiration from the cliffs and the moody ocean of my childhood. I wanted this painting to simply be a beautiful image that may offer the viewer a moment of peace. This painting made mostly of different shades of blue and violet required 8 months of work. “

A Lake Color of Emeralds by Christian Quintin, Oil on linen canvas, 53 x 41

” A peaceful lake nested among cliffs and spires rising from the ocean floor, contrasts with the powerful sea against a twilight sky. The rock formations and the sky are brown oranges with hints of violet, the lake a bright emerald green and the sea a deep olive green. “

La Forêt des Amants (Lover’s Forest) by Christian Quintin, Acrylic on Canvas, 72 x 120

” A true work of love, this 10 x 5 feet painting on canvas is the result of 2 1/2 years of work. The sketch alone took many months. Nature is truly my temple and I always wanted to paint a forest. My favorite place is always an intimate place near a river surrounded by boulders and trees. Then, this beautiful love came, stayed and filled my sky with joy. Two lovers hold each other in an iconic and tender embrace in this romantic setting. The colors as the emotions are warm and magical. Varnished and unframed, the canvas was stretched on a museum quality cradle and stretcher bars. “

L’Embellie (The Embellished) by Christian Quintin, Pen and ink on archival Bristol paper, 36 x 42

” The French poet Aragon wrote: “Has the artist ever painted what he sees? His darkness becomes stars and people take for roses the pain that he feels”. This drawing tells how he artist embellishes what I see or feel. “

The Open Door by Christian Quintin, Pen and ink on archival Bristol paper, 43 x 37

” This pen and ink was inspired by a verse of the 11th century Persian poet Rumi: “Why stay in prison when the door is wide open?” It represents what I see and what I feel in a kaleidoscopic view of my consciousness. In the center of the drawing is an open window through which one can see a sail floating free among the waves. Behind an open doorway, hangs paintings of landscapes, the infinite world of my soul. It was the intricate work of 7 to 8 months whose sole purpose was to create something beautiful and to express what I intensely feel. “

The Nest by Christian Quintin, Pen and ink on archival Bristol paper, 45 x 37

” Two figures, part human, part birds, love each other in a nest perched high in a tree. A story of love and beauty. The minimal gradient of the sky (tens of thousands of tiny strokes becoming lighter toward the horizon) contrasts with the complexity of the tree and its many leaves. A timeless and iconic expression of love and 8 to 10 months of work. “

L’Ile de la Comtesse (carré) by Christian Quintin, Graphite on hot press watercolor paper, 14 x 17

” An elegant and square house stands atop a cliff above the sea. L’ île de la Comtesse in Saint-Quay Portrieux, Bretagne is a small island a few hundred feet off the coast and accessible at low tide. In its center still stands the ruins of the Countess residence. I spent many years in boarding school above the town and often wandered alone among its cliffs and fantastic ruins.I enjoyed imagining and designing the architecture of this house with an amazing view of the Brittany northern sea. An intricate and detailed graphite pencils drawing that I often show students as a drawing lesson. “

La Mer Me Revient (Memory of the Sea) by Christian Quintin, Graphite on hot press watercolor paper, 19 x 16

” A graceful triangular house with a stunning view is built upon a tall island rising from a glassy sea. Below a tall cave allows one to enter and be sheltered from storms. Inspired by L’île de la Comtesse on the coast of Bretagne, a small island upon which sat the ruins of a castle that I used to frequent as a child. “

Moonlit Isle by Christian Quintin, Graphite on hot press watercolor paper, 19 x 16

” A remote and safe haven in a Pacific island lit by the moon. “

Solitude, the Terrace by Christian Quintin, Graphite on hot press watercolor paper, 19 x 17

” A terrace in a fantastic cliff above a river with a sheltered and inner lit cave. “

West Sonoma County by Christian Quintin, Soft pastel painting on archival hot press watercolor paper, 49 x 37

” A large pastel painting on paper, a work of endless months.  This painting represents what I saw and felt after discovering the magnificent landscape and seascape of the western part of Sonoma County, California. A face (who I am, my consciousness) floats against a background of endless clouds, its lips becoming an island. In the foreground, a boat among a dancing sea and two lovers as trees. A curved and elegant 3 inch wide dark green frame surrounds the matted painting. “

A Sky for Me (Un ciel pour moi) by Christian Quintin, Soft pastel painting on archival hot press watercolor paper, 24 x 17-1/2

” A deep ultramarine blue insight into my consciousness with the night sea and rollings hills of Brittany. It has a lovely contemporary jade green frame. “

Evening Stars by Christian Quintin, Soft pastel painting on archival hot press watercolor paper, 30 x 36

” This intensely saturated pastel painting, the product of many months of work shows a magical landscape below a sunset and cosmic sky filled with brilliant clouds, suns and stars. In the foreground, two lovers as brilliantly lit trees. Beyond what is right and wrong, lies a place of infinite beauty that only lovers can touch. A lovely romantic painting with a classical rounded gold frame that blends with the elegant curves of the piece. “

The Ghost and the Rose by Christian Quintin, oil on linen canvas, 45 x 53

Mint Sky by Christian Quintin, Oil on Birch panel, 25 1/2 x 19 1/2

The Lovers of Willow Creek by Christian Quintin, 2010, Pastel, 22 x 15

Story of Two Women by Christian Quintin, 2004, Pen & Ink on Paper, 23 x 29

Winter Lake by Christian Quintin, 2009, Oil on Birch Panel, 15 x 22

Christian Quintin was born in the town of Saint Brieuc, on the northern coast of Brittany, France. He studied at the Beaux Arts Academy in Paris and moved to the United States in 1981. His work has been exhibited in many solo and group shows, in galleries and museums such as the Vorpal Gallery in San Francisco and the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Christian was represented by the famed Vorpal Gallery in San Francisco and New York, which gave its first U.S. show to M.C. Escher. He has also been the recipient of numerous public and private commissions. Christian lives in Northern California.

Art Statement I wish my art to be seen as one would read poetry, hopeful that one would wander into its imagery… I do not have a message, only the need to express the feelings that flow through me and the desire to create beauty. I work mostly with pen and ink, pastels and oils. From my body of work, two distinct styles readily emerge. The first is narrative, a kaleidoscope of images representing consciousness that often suggests ever-changing boundaries, ephemeral frontiers, one form creating another, a constant transformation of energy. The second comprises landscapes, romantic sceneries where colors and shapes are tangible forms of emotions. Both escape time and space while expressing the spirit that I share with a river, a butterfly or a tree.

Christian Quintin Fine Art

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