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an image of a picture of a picture of some booksa picture of a piece of art that is brown and blacka pile of books that are stacked on top of each otheran image of a piece of white paper with rust on itPhoto 5/5 du lot
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Estimate €150,000 - €250,000
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Description
Pierre SOULAGES Walnut stain, 65 × 50 cm – 1973 Walnut stain on paper Signed 65 × 50 cm Walnut stain on paper; signed 25.59 × 19.68 in. Provenance: Private collection of Françoise Marquet and Zao Wou-ki Acquired directly from them by the current owner The work is registered in the artist’s archives. “The more limited the means, the stronger the expression.” Pierre Soulages “It symbolises the bond of friendship between Zao and Pierre, Colette and myself.” Françoise Marquet Works on paper occupy a special place in Pierre Soulages’s career, driven by a distinct artistic development that the artist has continually explored over the decades. This walnut-stain composition bears witness to this with remarkable intensity: it oscillates between the solemnity and dynamism that characterise Soulages’ work, giving rise to forms that are both dynamic and balanced, imbued with movement or a contained inner tension. This natural pigment, used from the very beginning of his career, lends the material an almost organic presence: it conveys the sensation of a living substance, evoking in turn weathered old wood and rusted iron. Soulages plays with light by leaving areas of unpainted space between the painted surfaces: the paper’s surface shows through, catches the light and, depending on its angle, brings out subtle hints of colour. Finally, the work takes on a deeply personal dimension. It symbolises the bond of friendship that has united Pierre Soulages and Zao Wou-Ki since the 1950s, as well as their wives, Colette and Françoise. An unwavering friendship, forged around art and sustained over the years, of which this work stands as a particularly intimate testament. Works on paper occupy a distinctive place in Pierre Soulages’ oeuvre, following their own particular development that the artist continued to explore and deepen over the course of several decades. This walnut stain composition bears remarkable witness to this: it oscillates between the hieratic quality and dynamism that characterise Soulages’ work, giving rise to forms that are at once dynamic and balanced, imbued with a sense of movement or contained inner tension. This natural pigment, which the artist used from the very beginning of his career, lends the material an almost organic presence, creating the impression of a living substance, evoking in turn weathered old wood and rusted iron. Soulages plays with light by leaving areas of the paper unpainted between the painted surfaces: the paper’s base comes to the fore, catching the light and revealing, depending on its angle, subtle hints of colour. The work also carries a deeply personal dimension. It embodies the bond of friendship that united Pierre Soulages and Zao Wou-Ki from the 1950s onwards, as well as their wives, Colette and Françoise. An enduring friendship, born of their shared love of art and sustained over the years, of which this work stands as a particularly intimate testament. Pierre SOULAGES
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About the sale Interior Motives: Artcurial x Reflections
Auction location
Auction time 09/30/2026 at 5:00 PM
Lot description modified on 09/21/2026 at 4:13 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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