TRINITY HOUSE PAINTINGS
PABLO PICASSO, PRINTS AND MULTIPLES
Standing in front of the pastel ‘La Fenaison’, the warmth of colour Léon-Augustin Lhermitte portrays in the wheatfield with the shimmering river in the distance is exquisite. His mastery of light in this medium as it catches the shoulder and hat of the farmer, the tips of the wheat and the reflections off the barn roof displays true refinement of his craft.
According to Vincent Van Gogh, Lhermitte’s secret was ‘that he knows the figure in general – namely the sturdy, severe workman’s figure – through and through, and takes his subjects from the heart of the people.’ His emphasis on the romantic, idyllic side of peasant life made works of this type extremely popular in the late nineteenth century. Van Gogh too hoped to establish himself as a painter of peasant life, and so Lhermitte’s work was an important source of inspiration to him.
His work also spread through commissions in illustrated magazines. Vincent Van Gogh wrote:
“If every month Le Monde Illustré published one of his compositions… it would be a great pleasure for me to be able to follow it. It is certain that for years I have not seen anything as beautiful as this scene by Lhermitte…I am too preoccupied by Lhermitte this evening to be able to talk of other things.”
Fitting then that ‘La Fenaison’ takes the lead in our newsletter. Lhermitte’s work can be found in prestigious museums worldwide, such as the Van Gogh Museum, The Smithsonian and The Met. You don’t have to travel so far to see Lhermitte, if you have the time do come and see this beautiful pastel in our Broadway gallery.
In 1944, a fateful printmaking ‘lesson’ with the legendary master printmaker Fernand Mourlot in Paris, began the courtship of the artist Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) and his new young muse, Françoise Gilot (b. 1921). Françoise served as a catalyst for Picasso to work seriously with lithography, and, by the Autumn of 1945, Picasso anxiously delivered four frontal head drawings of Françoise to the Mourlot atelier ready to be transferred to the stone and developed into an edition.
In 1949, Picasso’s art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler whilst traveling in Europe, sent Picasso a postcard of Cranach The Elders (1472 – 1553), 16th-century portrait of Princess Sibylle von Cleve (1512 – 1554), painted in 1526 on the occasion of her engagement to the Prince-Elector Johann Friedrich of Saxony. It is evident by comparing the two artists’ portraits, that Picasso was inspired by Cranach’s portrait of Princess Sibylle von Cleve, immortalising Françoise Gilot as a bride (or betrothed), whilst in the Paris atelier with Fernand Mourlot on 26th – 27th March 1949.
Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) Jeune Fille inspirée par Cranach (M. 176a; Bl. 602) lithograph printed in colours, 1949, on Arches, a fine impression, signed in pencil, numbered 41/50, from the edition of only 25 in these colours, there was also an edition of 25 in black and white, and five artist’s proofs signed in red by the artist.
‘Jeune fille (d’après Cranach), 1949′ by Pablo Picasso. Lithograp
MASTERPIECE ONLINE 2021
We are very excited to be part of Masterpiece Online. The fair will not be physically taking place, however, we as always are delighted to be part of one of the most distinguished fairs today and perhaps the most visually seductive.
We have taken great consideration into what pieces we will be exhibiting this year and have decided to display a very strong representation, the Best of British collections and the Best of French collections.
We will be preparing a preview flipbook to Masterpiece which will be available to view the week prior to the show beginning online.
If you would like to receive the preview flipbook, then please do contact us:
PRINTS AND MULTIPLES
We have added another string to our bow with regard to artwork, Prints & Multiples.
This offers a great opportunity to collect artworks of modern and contemporary masters at a lower cost and delve into a different facet of the artist. Prints can also be a great way to get started, a way to acquaint yourself with styles and artists in the same mode as other mediums. Artists make prints for a variety of reasons. They might be drawn to the collaborative nature of the print studio, or the potential for innovation the medium offers, or for a print’s potential to document each stage of a creative process. Prints can offer a completely different creative outlet to the artist’s primary working method.
We are always on hand to explain more about the medium, elaborate on its nature, and discuss conditions in front of the print itself, sharing our passion with you.
With the Bank Holiday weekend upon us….what better time to relax in the garden with a good book and a glass of wine…
GERTRUDE STEIN ON PICASSSO
From the time she moved to France in 1903 until her death in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1946, American writer Gertrude Stein was a central figure in the Parisian art world. An advocate of the avant garde, Stein helped shape an artistic movement that demanded a novel form of expression and a conscious break with the past.
Aside from artists, Picasso rubbed shoulders with many other 20th century luminaries, who were drawn into his entourage by his charisma and wit. One of his greatest admirers was the American Gertrude Stein, who was a collector of his work from the early days of his career. Picasso’s portrait of her from 1905 demanded no fewer than 90 sittings (though one imagines they enjoyed shooting the breeze).
When he gave it to Stein as a gift, she told him that it didn’t look like her. “It will”, he said. Stein’s account of Picasso provides a very good foil to this larger-than-life personality.
