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The mermaids' song haunts the plains and floats over the waters of the river, changing as it follows the rhythm of the seasons: the heavy silence of the Winter is followed by the powerful burst of Spring. The majestic Sun brings with it the theme of Summer. With its irresistible power it warms the earth, takes possession of it, penetrates and fertilises it, bringing forth its fruit. This Gironde Estuary nourishes the cycle of the seasons, inspiring the creative spirit of the artist. The approach of Jean-Daniel Menanteau has found a warm welcome from the public. This has opened the doors of prestigious art galleries to him, whether it be in the Capital or in the United States. At the same time, his talent has won awards in France, in Belgium, where he was made a Commandeur de l'Ordre de l'Etoile de l'Europe, in Denmark with a European prize given under the patronage of HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark, and in Italy. This is a particularly remarkable feat when you bear in mind the strong competition that dominates the arts scene in this region of Europe. His exhibitions in the Châteaux of the Médoc, in Switzerland, Germany and the USA have all contributed to earning the works of Jean-Daniel Menanteau a place in the great private and official art collections. Christian Germak Critique
de Antonio MALMO / Art Critic from Antonio MALMO Over the last forty years, we have seen a fearful crisis in the panorama of fine arts. The concomitant causes are from various origins: social, political, economical and cultural. Contemporary artists usually precede the disorder of a society which is totally absorbed in the race for consumerism. Spirituality, poetry, love for our planet are forgotten. They no longer know what to paint on the white canvas and prefer to revisit the works of the "great masters" of the past. It's humiliating! Where has the verve, the fancy, the charisma gone? It is not acceptable that very famous publishing houses impose "names" on the international market who have no artistic personality, no basic preparation, no motivation, no problematical reason and above all, no message for mankind. Yet, there is no lack of themes: war, incommunicability, the diversity of human relationships, all of them are themes to be painted or sculptured. Critics must share part of the responsibility. They call "up and coming artists" the artists with no feelings, no ideas or failing that, no ideals, but on the contrary, they provide them with "media hype" advertising just like the galleries and publishing houses. Yet, tastes in society vary. The public have a desire to identify themselves in the work of the artist with the feelings, preoccupations, ideals he lives and suffers through every day of his life. It was necessary to write this preamble to be able to speak about the personality and the works of the French painter, Jean-Daniel Menanteau. He paints with love and torment while he ponders over the present ecological situation of our planet. The seas, oceans, the Earth, the sky, are offended by the hand of the contemporary man, of the political power which devastated them. A nostalgic and melancholic touch transpires from his works. The dreams of his younger days, his aspirations, his ideals are wiped out by a human society which has become more burdensome than ever. His brush is very delicate. He is fond of landscapes, above all the Gironde Estuary which impresses him deeply. Very soft is the atmosphere he paints with great emotional participation. One can hear the birds singing or the breeze of the wind through the trees, or the murmur of the sea. One cannot remain insensitive to the wonderful image that Jean-Daniel Menanteau transfers to his works. His painting is emotional and gives emotion, his colours are well blended. The perspectives and the distances are perfect. One must consider and admire the messages in his paintings: peace, solidarity, love for depth. One can make out his rigour and his need to communicate with all mankind through his colours. He wrote very delicates pages for us, not only rich in poetry but also in pain for the afflictions the world is suffering from today. I would like to name all his most beautiful works. I will only name a few: "Platin Beach (Royan)", "Talmont (Gironde Estuary)", "Arguin sandbank (Bassin d'Arcachon)", which are the admirable synthesis of his aspiration, his artistic and humane spirituality. Jean-Daniel deserves the warmest contentment from the public and the critics. I don't think I can be contradicted. Gallery&Studio By contrast, Jean Daniel Menanteau is a painter who occupies his own unique place in contemporary art, for his style is characterized by a simple elegance that lends his approach to such subjects as landscape, the figure, and particulary the time-honored one of the artist in his studio a rare resonance. Menanteau almost singlehandedly revives the forgotten qualities of "touch" that were once paramount in any discussion of easel painting. Indeed, his paintings are all about combining attentiveness to what paint itself can do when it is applied with sensitivity to canvas or any other surface. Whether painting a beach scene, a studio view, or a landscape, Menanteau makes a subtle statement about both the ability of pigment to evoke reality and its contradictory habit of quietly calling attention to itself. Peter Wiley
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