By Elizabeth Cloutman

Galeries Gerard d’Eygalieres opening marks change for high-tech couple

For many, France is synonymous with art. Now, a new downtown gallery brings original French art to Los Altos. On Sept. 22, San Jose residents Pascal and Patricia Le Menn - themselves natives of France - opened Galeries Gerard d’Eygalieres at 164 Main St.

Galeries Gerard d’Eygalieres is the only retail art gallery in the United States to feature the work of Gerard Ricard d’Eygalieres, a 44-year-old French artist known throughout Europe for his replicas of paintings by pre-20th century European masters as well as his own contemporary and abstract art.

The artist’s actual name is Gerard Ricard, but because he lives and works in the town of Eygalieres in Provence, he is known as Gerard Ricard d’Eygalieres. He works predominantly with oil on canvas or wood, but also works in other media - collages, frescos, gilding, watercolors and stained glass.

The Le Menns’ gallery carries both d’Eygalieres’ replicas of French masters and his contemporary works. The replicas are of works by artists such as Grenier de Lacroix, Paul-Louis Bouchard, Hippolyte Berteaux, Michel Bouillon and Nicholas de Largillierre.

The Le Menns both worked in Silicon Valley’s high-tech industry until very recently - Patricia in customer support for Tandem Computers, which was bought by Compaq; and Pascal as an electrical engineer, first for Globalstar and then for a startup company in Sunnyvale. The two had always enjoyed collecting art, and when Pascal’s startup failed to raise sufficient financial backing they decided to follow their dream of opening a gallery.

The Le Menns decided to carry d’Eygalieres’ work exclusively, rather than a variety of French artists, because, Pascal said, “he does such a variety of work.” A mutual friend in France connected the two through e-mail.

“It was just the right timing,” Le Menn said. “(d’Eygalieres) was looking for a gallery to display his work in the United States. I was looking to open a gallery.”

Patricia, a native of a “very small” town near the port city of La Rochelle, came to the United States 23 years ago. Pascal, a native of Brest in Brittany, immigrated 6 1/2 years ago, when, after earning his doctorate in electrical engineering and working for a while in the telecommunications industry in France, he joined Globalstar. “I wanted to experience America, the land of opportunity,” he said.

The couple met at their apartment complex swimming pool soon after Pascal arrived in the United States. “I was talking to a friend in French,” Patricia said. “Pascal asked me whether I was French Canadian or from France. If I’d been speaking English, he might not have spoken to me.” She added, laughing, “I wasn’t looking to marry a Frenchman. In fact, I didn’t want to marry a Frenchman.” The couple have been married for almost six years.

The Le Menns said they enjoy owning a business in Los Altos. “The people are very friendly here,” Patricia said. Eventually, they hope to open a second gallery in Monte Carlo - hence the plural “galeries,” Pascal said.

Galeries Gerard d’Eygalieres is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.