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274 - Pierre MAGNAN-BERNARD (1880–1950)
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Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
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Description
Pierre MAGNAN-BERNARD (1880–1950) After the Bath, 1922 Oil on canvas, signed and dated in the lower left-hand corner. 120 x 99.5 cm A pupil of Jean-Léon Gerôme (1824–1904) and François Flameng (1856–1923), Pierre Magnan-Bernard was born in Draguignan. Like many painters trained during this pivotal period, the artist applied his training to the spirit of his time. The depiction of the nude here follows the pictorial tradition of his masters. The brushwork and use of paint, however, can be seen in the light of the teachings of the Modernists, heirs to the Symbolists and Post-Impressionists. Dated 1922, this painting also illustrates, through its subject matter, this new era in which sea bathing was an integral part of the customs and traditions of the new bourgeoisie of the Roaring Twenties. Set against a coastal landscape, our scene offers a ‘Modern’ take on the Three Graces in the 1920s. The background, which in some respects may recall Titian’s Venus of Urbino, depicts a languid nude on the beach, basking in the sun. In the lower right-hand corner, a sketched hat brings to mind Leonardo’s ‘non finito’ style. These details and interpretations are all clues that remind us that the teachings of Gérôme and Flameng still resonate in the mind of Magnan Bernard. A contemporary of Pierre Puvis-de-Chavannes, this scene also invites us to imagine this almost paradisiacal landscape where idealised nudity blends with the coquettish realism of the lipstick applied to the model’s lips. A painting entitled ‘Après le bain’ was recently acquired by the Musée de Draguignan. This nude, viewed from behind, is reminiscent of Ingres’s ‘La Baigneuse Valpinçon’ and once again illustrates the painter’s close relationship between classicism and pictorial modernity.
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About the sale 20th-century art
Auction location
Auction time 10/23/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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