PAUL PASCAL French, 1839-1905 Ruins of Palmyra with Camel Caravan, 1903 Gouache on paper. Small gouache depicts the ancient archaeological site of Palmyra in Syria. The composition is framed on the left by the remains of a Roman-style colonnade. Signed and dated lower right. Framed. Not examined out of frame. Sight (as matted): 4 x 6 inches; frame: 8.5 x 10.5 inches $250-350
ARTIST PROFILE: Paul Pascal (1839–1905) was a prolific French landscape painter whose career spanned continents and various aesthetic movements. Born in Toulouse to a family of skilled cabinet-makers, he spent a formative portion of his youth in North Africa before graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Pascal initially established his artistic reputation in Toulouse and Paris during the 1870s and 1880s, gaining recognition for his exclusive use of gouache to capture the light and atmosphere of the Middle East, Italy, the Pyrenees, and the Mediterranean coast. In 1893, he emigrated to the United States, where he expanded his repertoire to include the American wilderness and scenes of Native American life. Despite his widespread travels and professional success—which saw his works auctioned by major houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s—Pascal died in poverty in Washington, D.C. Today, his artistic legacy is preserved in several French institutions, including the Musée Paul Dupuy in Toulouse and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Narbonne.
