Moulins du Radet

David Culp

David Culp uses vibrant violet, rose, and gold hues, offset by leaf green, to portray a corner of the famed Paris neighborhood, Montmartre, and three of the four windmills that still exist there today. The exteriors of the neighborhood's structures are weather-worn and peeling, adding a pleasing texture to the image.

Culp's title refers to one of the two most famous such structures, the Radet. The historied mill was first mentioned in 1717. In 1830, it was used to crush spices destined for use in parfumery. In 1915, the old mill, threatened with demolition, was saved by the popular support of the people of Paris. Its owner, Pierre-Auguste Debray, offered it to the Vieux Montmartre society on condition that it be transfered to another site. The wooden pivot-mill was placed above the house at n°1, rue Girardon where it can still be seen today.

Painter David Culp was born in Los Angeles in 1942. His mother was a public school teacher and his father was the director of an advertising agency. Culp graduated with a degree in psychology from Whittier College in 1963 and joined the California National Guard soon thereafter. Little is recorded of his pursuit of art or his art education, though some of his exhibitions are listed from the years 1986 to 2017. Culp is primarily drawn to urban street scenes and frequently works in impasto. He was listed in "Encyclopedia of Living Artists in America 1987", "International Contemporary Masters 2011", and "Inspiration: International Art Book, Contemporary Masters Collection, 2016".