Galerie Dreyfus
72
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GEORGES ROUAULT (PARIS, 1871 – PARIS, 1958)
Pierrot
Circa 19…
See original version (French)
72
-
GEORGES ROUAULT (PARIS, 1871 – PARIS, 1958)
Pierrot
Circa 19…
See original version (French)
Estimate €40,000 - €50,000
Voluntary lot
Description
GEORGES ROUAULT
(PARIS, 1871 – PARIS, 1958)
Pierrot
Circa 1940–1948
Oil on paper mounted on canvas
37 x 25 cm.
This portrait is characterised by broad swathes of blue and flashes of pink that sculpt the contours
of an enigmatic face. The bold, almost brutal brushstrokes lend
the surface a textured quality, as if every movement of the paint were expressing an
inner tension. The half-closed gaze, barely hinted at, exudes a silent
yet powerful presence, whilst light and dark tones vie for the light on the skin.
The white headband, which blends into the hair or the scarf, creates a striking contrast
with the intense blues, evoking the strength of a decisive stroke.
The beauty of this work lies first and foremost in the boldness of its brushwork. With just a few
energetic strokes, the artist manages to capture both the softness of the features and the unfathomable
nature of this face. The subtle balance between the bluish shades and the flesh tones conveys an
ambivalent emotion, at once sombre and luminous, intimate and almost universal. Its
uniqueness is revealed in the expressive power of the line, which goes beyond the mere representation of a
model to achieve a form of inner symbolism. Through this
gestural and colourful composition, the painting becomes a vehicle for introspection. It suggests the richness
of a story, the depth of a gaze, whilst leaving the mystery intact.
Georges Rouault (1871–1958) was a French painter and engraver. The son of a cabinetmaker, he initially trained as a stained-glass painter. Having enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1891, he became the favourite pupil of Gustave Moreau, whose death would affect him deeply. This was followed by a period of aesthetic crisis during which he developed a style of painting with lyrical, even grotesque undertones, caricaturing his contemporaries – from courtrooms to the streets – and painting judges, clowns and prostitutes with irony… Impulsive and passionate, Rouault never claimed to belong to any
art movement; he did not seek to please his audience. His appointment as curator of the
Gustave Moreau Museum in 1902 allowed him the freedom to work independently. In 1903, he
founded the Salon d’Automne with his friends Matisse and Marquet. Recognition came when,
in 1917, the art dealer Ambroise Vollard bought the entire contents of his studio (770 works) and
commissioned him to produce engravings for numerous publications, including *Le Père Ubu*, *Les Fleurs du mal*,
*Miserere* (58 plates),… to the extent that printmaking temporarily supplanted his painting and profoundly
influenced his style towards a synthesis of forms. A devout Catholic, Rouault explored
religious themes, such as his *Christ Mocked by Soldiers* (1932), now at MoMA
in New York. But in reality, his entire body of work is imbued with the sacred, particularly
his portraits, in which he sought the face of Christ, as in this *Arlequin*, whose hieratic
quality and impassivity are part of that quest. It forms part of a whole series of figures with
a meditative quality, now held at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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