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653 - LEMORDANT Jean-Julien (1882–1968): “Study for La Danse”, sig…
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Estimate €5,000 - €7,000
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Description
LEMORDANT Jean-Julien (1882–1968): “Study for La Danse”, signed HST, circa 1913. Dimensions: 84 x 84 cm. PROVENANCE: Formerly in the Malvina Hoffman collection, New York (acquired directly from the artist), Estate of Malvina Hoffman (by descent). The year is 1912. Jean-Julien Lemordant receives a commission from the City of Rennes to paint the ceiling of the municipal theatre. This bold 132 m² mural will take him nearly two years to complete. Created as a preparatory sketch for this ambitious, monumental design, ‘La Danse bretonne’ bears witness to the artist’s expressive power. Through this composition, Lemordant celebrates a Brittany that is vibrant, passionate and deeply rooted in its folk traditions. Intended for a major public space, this work illustrates the ambition of the grand decorative programmes of the early 20th century, when artists and institutions sought to unite modern art with regional identity. With “La Danse bretonne”, Lemordant offers far more than a mere traditional scene: he composes a veritable hymn to movement, community and the Breton spirit. The painting presented here remained for over a century in the collection of the American sculptor Malvina Hoffman, and subsequently in that of her family. Hoffman discovered Saint-Guénolé after the First World War. This trip was prompted in particular by the friendship she forged with Jean-Julien Lemordant, of whom she owned around ten works. The two artists maintained a long correspondence from 1910 to 1937.
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About the sale L'AME BRETONNE Sale – 23rd edition
Auction location
Auction time 07/05/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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