Lot  050 Ravenel Spring Auction 2020

Ravenel Spring Auction 2020

Labrador

Georges MATHIEU (French, 1921 - 2012)

1959

Oil on canvas

89 x 146 cm

Estimate

TWD 6,500,000-9,500,000

HKD 1,671,000-2,442,000

USD 215,700-315,300

CNY 1,533,000-2,241,000

Sold Price


Signature

Signed lower right Mathieu and dated 59

PROVENANCE:
Collection of Roger Ranson, Saint Cloud, Paris
Collection of Madame Solange de Turenne, Paris
Private collection, France

EXHIBITED:
Dix ans d’activité, Studio Paul Facchetti, Paris, June 1959
Georges Mathieu Retrospective, Musée d’Art Moderne de
la ville Paris, 1963

+ OVERVIEW

In 1956, Mathieu had a meeting with Dr. Zhou, the permanent representative of China at UNESCO, and Chang Dai-Chien, a prodigious Chinese calligrapher. Afterward, he published an essay titled, “Connections between certain aspects of lyrical, non-figurative painting and Chinese calligraphy.” In it, Mathieu addresses the correlation between lyrical abstract painting and Chinese calligraphy. Since creativity has no limitations, any preexistence of forms should be ignored, he argued. Mathieu preferred to paint alone at night, even completing dozens of paintings in reclusion three days before his exhibitions. Painting the canvas directly with paint tubes became a hallmark of his works. Mathieu stressed the aesthetic of rapidity, fluidity, and explosiveness. Each ever-changing spectacle made by the artist, whether it be unrestrained grandeur or an unyielding elegance, exerts subtle influences on the minds of viewers. To simplify his ideas for the public, Mathieu imbued paintings with the purpose of an impromptu performance, leaving a forward-thinking page in history for action paintings. He once said, " few understood that painting in public represents for me a true communion amongst men."

Born into a wealthy family in Normandy, Mathieu was surrounded by tales of the epic legends of local heroes, causing him to idolize the past and yearn for the romantic sense of glory seemingly enjoyed by his ancestors. While comparing his sensibilities with Frédéric Chopin, he had an unruly style that resembled that of Lord Byron. Jean Cocteau even described him as "a rebellious aristocrat in the kingdom of art." Mathieu left behind many masterpieces that commemorate France's glorious and magnificent history. Daniel Wildenstein (1917-2001), a renowned French art dealer and historian, once told Mathieu, "Only artists such as Titian and Monet can achieve the youth and evolution that your paintings portray."

The auction item is a painting titled Labrador. Completed in 1959, it is a masterpiece that Mathieu created during his heyday. Having established ties with art circles from both the East and the West, he achieved master status as an artist at the age of 38. Labrador is a painting extremely filled with elegance and profound force of magnanimity. Its black-blue underpainting parallels the ocean that engulfed the snowy coast of Greenland. The argent lines constitute a globular sense that appears poised yet resilient. The meticulously orchestrated image perfectly demonstrates the technique of“intended vacancy” as well as an artistic style encompassing simplicity, beauty, elegance, and realism. From 1534 to 1763, the territory of the French North American Empire, Nouvelle France, expanded across the Labrador Peninsula including the present day Canadian province of Quebec, transforming the region into a cultural hub between Europe and North America. With the largest French-speaking community in the Americas, the territory cultivated a wide diversity of unique customs. Its historical significance became an inspiration for Mathieu's Labrador painting, which he first unveiled at Studio Paul Facchetti. Chosen by the Paris Museum of Modern Art for a three-month retrospective exhibition in 1963, this masterpiece completely encapsulates Mathieu's artistic style and the historical context that inspired its creation.

Post-war abstraction serves as a milestone in a century of art history development. In recent years, many regions have become interlinked to facilitate a stable development of the overall market. Numerous iconic Asian artists, such as Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh-Chun, Kazuo Shigara, and Shozo Shimamoto, who had deeply connected with abstract art circles in Europe, influenced art collectors in Asia to recognize the market value of Georges Mathieu, Hans Hartung, Pierre Soulages, and other principal lyrical abstraction artists, whose paintings could be the choice to globalize art collection. 2021 marks the centennial birthday year of Mathieu, one of the most prominent figures in art history. In recent years in the auction market, his works have been delivering an excellent performance. Looking at the stable increase in attention his works have been receiving in exhibitions and auctions, it is reasonable to conclude that the prospective market value for him is relatively more promising than other artists from the same period.
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Select: Modern & Contemporary Art

Ravenel Spring Auction 2020

Sunday, July 19, 2020, 1:00pm