Amédée Ozenfant

Private Collection, Europe (possibly acquired directly from the artist)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

The canvas is not lined. There are very thin intermittent lines of retouching to the extreme left, right and upper edges, and a fine 2cm. long pigment loss to the centre of the extreme right edge. All retouching is visible under UV light. Apart from a small area of light stable craquelure towards the centre of the right edge, this work is in very good condition. Colours: The colours are overall much brighter and vibrant in the original, especially the reds and the blues towards the right edge.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted circa 1926, the present work represents the pinnacle of Purism, the short-lived but stunningly elegant movement founded by Amédée Ozenfant and Charles Édouard Jeanerret (later known as Le Corbusier) in 1918. As the title suggests, Après le cubisme was a manifesto written to extend the possibilities of Cubism away from the 'decorative' manner of analytical Cubism into a more mathematical, perfectionist approach. In the place of spontaneity and artistic error came a carefully planned command of composition, colour and form.

From 1925 to 1928 Ozenfant constructed more natural, harmonious compositions, as shown in the present work. There is a classical aspect to his mid-late 1920s painting that evokes a controlled, architectural weighing of form. Le Pichet Blanc is testament to Ozenfant at his peak: the line of the jug as a central motif is immaculately balanced as centrepiece, yet the whole work perfectly harmonises both colour and composition. The carefully constructed paint surface and intricate finish to the work are other aspects that make this painting such a wonderful example of Purism.