Lot 27
  • 27

Kees van Dongen

Estimate
500,000 - 700,000 USD
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Description

  • Kees van Dongen
  • Le Pavillon du Pré Catelan le soir
  • Signed Van Dongen (lower center)
  • Oil on canvas
  • 21 5/8 by 18 1/8 in.
  • 55 by 46 cm

Provenance

Gilbert Bécaud, France (acquired from the artist)

Paul Pétridès, Paris (acquired from the above)

Acquired from the above in June 1964

Catalogue Note

Van Dongen's vibrant depiction of the landmark nightclub Pré Catelan captures the festive spirit of this sumptuous establishment in the Bois de Boulogne.  Today a Michelin-starred restaurant, Pré Catelan was a high-society venue known during the early twentieth century for its well-appointed salons, planned-casino and gourmet dining.  By the 1910s, Van Dongen was one of the most in-demand portrait painters among the avant-garde.  Although he had risen to prominence with his  feverishly colorful depictions of cabaret performers during his involvement with the Fauves, the artist became a darling of the belle monde with his portraits of soignée Parisian socialites.  While figuration was central to his artistic production, it was his depictions of his subjects' fashionable milieu that broadened his reputation.  The present work depicts a scene outside of the Pré Catelan in the evening, allowing Van Dongen to experiment with electrifying color.  Sharp contrasts of light and dark, particularly the vivid yellow against the midnight blue background, capture the striking visual effects of new electric lighting in modern-day Paris.

The first owner of this work was Gilbert Bécaud (1927-2002), the celebrated French musical performer who came into prominence in the late 1950s, thanks to the encouragement of Edith Piaf.  According to Pétridès, Bécaud acquired this work directly from Van Dongen himself, whose reputation for throwing gallant parties and enjoying night-life entertainment was well known.   Not long after Pétridès acquired this work from Bécaud, he sold it to Elmer Bobst, and it has been in the Bobst Collection for over 50 years.