Jean-Paul Riopelle

Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

New York, Robert Miller Gallery, Riopelle, March - April 2005

Yseult Riopelle, Jean-Paul Riopelle: Catalogue Raisonné Tome 2, 1954-1959, Montreal, 2004, cat. no. 1956.102H., p. 242, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition. The edges are taped with linen. There is light wear and minimal soiling to the edges. There are few scattered and stable drying cracks throughout, consistent with the heavier areas of impasto. The surface has recently benefitted from a light topical cleaning from Amann + Estabrook Restoration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Shortly after moving to Paris in 1947, Jean-Paul Riopelle was invited to participate in the last major group show of Surrealist Art, held at Galerie Maeght.  At this significant exhibition, he met the young abstract painters of the École de Paris including Nicolas de Staël, Georges Mathieu, Zao Wou-Ki and Maria Elena Vieira.  Their influence on Riopelle was immediately evident as the canvases of the young artist from Quebec evolved from melancholic semi-abstractions to stirring compositions of remarkable power.  Consequently, by 1949, Riopelle had been offered his first solo exhibition at the left bank gallery of Nina Dausset on the rue du Dragon.  

The works of this period reached an expressive and physical depth theretofore unprecedented for the artist. Utilizing dollops of paint squeezed directly from the tube, threads trailing along and criss-crossing the surface, Riopelle created an extraordinary dialogue between color, form, thought and texture as evinced in the present work.  By the mid 1950's, Riopelle began working on a grander scale and the palette knife began to sculpt the paint into glittering facets resembling precious stones. In Profil d'Orage, 1956, the pictorial space gradually developes with the colors increaslingly concentred in areas outlined by white brushstrokes which he uses to structure, draw and define space.

For me, a painting is never the reproduction of an image. It always starts with a vague feeling...the desire to paint... Not a clear idea. The painting starts where it wants...but after, everything falls into place. That's the important thing. The painting must develop by itself. It's a process... I'm not the type to search for the perfect green...For instance, I never tell myself I must paint like this or like that to obtain a particular effect. If I get to that point, I stop. It's dangerous...because it means I'm focusing on the technical aspect. There's always a way to improve a painting that's weak. But I'm not interest in doing that. The work loses its emotional unity. Because, unfortunately, the tecnique will always dominate.

- Jean-Paul Riopelle, 1972