Early Life, Family and Training
Alexandre Pau de Saint-Martin enters the world on 7 September 1751 in Mortagne-au-Perche, France. He is born to Alexandre Peau and Magdeleine Gilles. The family connection to the arts is already established through his uncle, the local artist Toussaint Peau. This lineage of creators sets a specific trajectory for the young man as he moves toward professional training.
The path of a landscape painter takes shape under the guidance of significant masters. Alexandre Pau de Saint-Martin studies under Jean-Baptiste Le Prince and Joseph Vernet. These mentors provide the technical foundation for his later career. By 1782, his personal life stabilizes when he marries Marie Anne Colombe Morillon. The couple settles in Paris, near the Porte Saint-Martin, a location that likely influences the name he adopts for his professional identity.
Artistry becomes a family legacy. His son, Pierre Alexandre Pau de Saint-Martin, follows in his footsteps to become a painter himself. This continuity of talent ensures that the techniques and stylistic approaches developed by the father continue through the next generation.
Technique and Artistic Style
The landscape painter focuses his attention on the natural world, frequently centering his compositions around the detailed study of trees. His technique often involves working with oil on paper, a choice that dictates the intimacy and texture of his subjects. In many instances, the artist prepares his support with a specific tint of ochre pink, a colored ground that peeks through the brushwork to influence the overall tone of the scene.
His contemporaries, observing his fluid and prolific output, bestowed upon him the nickname La Fontaine de la Peinture. This moniker reflects a certain abundance in his creative process. The works often emerge from careful sketches made on-site, which are later translated into finished pieces within the studio. This transition from field to atelier allows for a controlled application of color, particularly when working on the delicate surface of paper.
The artist's approach to light and color is deeply tied to the physical materials at his disposal. His method is characterized by:
- The use of oil on paper as a primary medium.
- A distinctive ochre pink tinted support.
- A recurring emphasis on arboreal forms.
Key Works and Notable Legends
The artist’s presence in the Parisian art scene is marked by a consistent presence at the Salon, where he exhibited regularly from 1791 to 1820. His landscapes often find their way into significant collections, such as the 1809 work, View of Saint-Cloud, Near the Seine, which is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. These works reflect a career spent capturing specific topographical views and natural settings through his distinct approach to oil on paper.
A particular legend surrounds the work Vue de Caen, currently held by the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire Pissarro-Pontoise. The painting carries a dark, historical weight tied to the French Revolution. During this period, the artist was close to the architect Louis-François Petit-Radel, who was tasked with dismantling royal relics. According to local accounts, the crushed remains of the heart of Louis XIV were provided to the painter. This relic was allegedly used as a pigment to achieve a deep, specific red within the composition of the canvas.
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