VILLON, Jacques, L'Espagnole (The Spaniard), (after Henri Matisse) 1928
Villon, Jacques (Gaston Duchamp). French painter, born in Damville; died in Puteaux. Villon was the brother of Marcel Duchamp, Raymond DuchampVillo… [Read biography »]
Jacques Villon (1875 - 1963), Original Color Aquatint, L'Espagnole (The Spaniard), (after Henri Matisse) 1928  |
Place your cursor over the thumbnails below to view the full-size image:
| Artist: | Villon, Jacques (1875 - 1963) |
|---|---|
| Title: | L'Espagnole (The Spaniard), (after Henri Matisse) 1928 |
| Medium: | Original Color Aquatint |
| Image Size: | 15 1/2 in x 10 3/4 in (39.6 cm x 27.5 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 21 in x 15 in (53.3 cm x 38.1 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 35 1/2 in x 30 in (90.17 cm x 76.2 cm) |
| Edition: | From the unsigned edition of 200 by La Chalcographie du Musée du Louvre (blindstamp featured in lower center margin) and published by Bernheim-Jeune, Paris |
| Condition: | Featuring a strong plate mark and bold, vibrant colors, this piece is in very good condition |
Price :Item# 1951 | $8,000 (Summer Sales Event 20% off price: $6,400) To speak directly with the Director, Alex Adelman, please call (510) 777-9970 / 1-800-805-7060. |
| Description: | |
This exquisite and mysterious work features a dazzling array of bright, bold colors which compliment an intriguing portrait of a beautiful Spanish woman. Her gaze captures our attention, while the kaleidoscope of flora creates a background into which she seemingly disappears. Created in 1928, this piece was published by Bernheim-Jeune, Paris after an original painting by Henri Matisse in 1925. L’Espagnole is printed from an unsigned edition of 200 by la Chalcographie du Louvre, featuring their embossed blindstamp in the lower center margin. Engraved in the plate is the following inscription along the lower margin: ‘H. MATISSE PINX’ (abbreviation of the latin term, pinxit translating to ‘he painted it’) / CHALCOGRAPHIE DU LOUVRE / JACQUES VILLON SCI.’ A beautiful arrangement of pinks, yellows, greys, and whites compliment the central figure of our Spaniard within the composition. She is dressed in delicately intricate costume, allowing her to become part of the overall composition of both the background and the foreground. Her intense gaze and softened expression are set against a pale, ivory face which rest in the palm of her hand. Supported and framed by a series of horizontal stripes, presumably a surface behind which she sits, this portrait integrates the viewer directly; it is as if we were sitting across from her at a café, engaged in conversation and enjoying each other’s company. She is an incredibly delightful piece to behold, a must-have to any collection. Catalogue Raisonné & COA: 1. Ginestet, Colette de & Catherine Pouillon. Jacques Villon: Les Estampes, Les Illustrations – Catalogue Raisonné. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. E645 on pg. 400-1. About the Framing: | |
Biography of Jacques Villon
Villon, Jacques (Gaston Duchamp). French painter, born in Damville; died in Puteaux. Villon was the brother of Marcel Duchamp, Raymond DuchampVillon and Suzanne Duchamp. After studying law he settled in Paris in 1894, where he worked in Cormon's studio and earned his living as a draughtsman. During this period he contributed to the magazines Le Chat noir, Gil Blas, Lassiette au Beurre and Le Courrier franqais. In 1904 he became a founder member of the Salon d'Automne, in which he regularly exhibited. In 1912 he helped to organize the Section d'Or exhibition, and in 1913 took part in the International Exhibition of Modern Art (the Armory Show) in New York, at which he sold nine pictures. Between 1921 and 1930 he produced thirty-four prints for Architectures.
In 1937 he won an award for painting and graphic art at the International Exhibition of Art in Paris. In 1940-1 he was in Bernay with Mme Andre Mare. In 1944 he became friendly with Louis Carre and
exhibited in his gallery. In 1949 he won the Grand Prix for graphic art in Lugano, and in 1950 took part in the Twenty fifth Biennale in Venice, and won the Carnegie Prize in Pittsburgh. In 1954 he was made Commandeur de la Legion d' Honneur and Commandeur des Arts et Lettres. In 1956 he won the Grand Prix for painting at the Twenty-eighth Biennale in Venice and in 1958 the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition in Brussels. In 1961 he was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Institute of Arts and Letters in the United States.
During his early period, when he worked primarily as a draughtsman and etcher, Villon was influenced by Steinlen and Toulouse-Lautrec. In 1906 he became more interested in painting, and during the next five years took his lead from Degas and the Fauves. Then, in 1911, he embraced Analytical Cubism, which satisfied his need for order and discipline. Subsequently, he tried to develop a new style of painting based on mathematical proportions corresponding to the golden section. Later, between 1919 and 1929, he painted abstracts, in which he sought to represent the essence of objects by means of signs and not properties. During this period he restricted his palette to greys and browns. In 1930 he began to use colours from the prismatic sequence of tones. After this abstract phase Villon reverted, in 1933, to natural forms and pure colours. In c. 1950 he stopped painting landscapes and figure compositions, and evolved a new and carefully thought-out form of abstract painting, for which he used cool colours.
