The political discussion

Lot n° 134
26,3cmx34cm

EXHIBITED

Salon de la société nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1890, n°375 ;
Salon de la Société lorraine des Arts, Nancy, 1896, n°140 ;
Exposition Universelle, Exposition décennale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1900, n°806 (as belonging to Madame Coquelin) ;
Rétrospective des meilleures oeuvres d'artistes lorrains récompensés aux Salons parisiens, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Nancy, 1909 ;
Les Pompiers, 1ère exposition, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 1912, n°29 (as belonging to M. L. Corbin) ; 
Salon de la Société des Artistes français, Paris, 1921, n°828 (belonging to Louis Corbin)

LITERATURE

« Gazette des Beaux-Arts », 1st July 1890, illustrated p.73 ;
« Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne », 10 August 1900, illustrated p.73 ;
Maurice Garçot, "Emile Friant", in Revue Lorraine Illustrée, Nancy, Imprimeries Réunies, 1931, mentionned p. 76 ;
Collectif des amis d'Émile Friant, Émile Friant 1863-1932, Les discours sur la tombe d'Émile Friant, printed thanks to a subscription, 1933, mentionned p. 81 ;
Arsène Alexandre, Emile Friant et son oeuvre, Nancy, 1946, described p.19, illustrated pl. VI ;
Philippe Claudel, Au revoir Monsieur Friant, Lavaur, 2001,

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CATALOGUE NOTE

In 1887, Friant paints Les canotiers de la Meurthe (Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy), famous composition where he shows the "joie de vivre" of a group of young men lunching (see illustration next page). Painted in 1889, The Political discussion, also shows men at a table, but with a completely different atmosphere : the idea came to him as he was sitting by the Meurthe, listening to workers discussing the electoral campaign of 1889, where général Boulanger and Maurice Barrès presented themselves. 
The close-up that Friant chose here captures the essence of the scene and focuses our attention on these main characters. Their gestures and physiognomies show the tension of the argument. Every detail is chosen with precision : expressions, attitudes, movements in the hands and arms. The Political Discussion shows the admirable talent of the young artist to represent emotions and human feelings. 

Once more, the critics are unanimous : Léopold Mabilleau writes in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts "In the note in which The Political discussion is treated we know him no rival".