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JACQUES MAJORELLE | The Village of Assikis in the Moroccan Grand Atlas
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Jacques Majorelle
- The Village of Assikis in the Moroccan Grand Atlas
- signed, inscribed and dated j. majorelle / assikis / Ht Sexaoua 1929 lower left; inscribed in pencil a graver en premier / Assikis (Sexaoua) / grd Atlas / contre-jour on the reverse
- gouache and mixed media heightened with silver and gold on board
- 63 by 48cm., 24¾ by 19in.
Provenance
Sale: Christie's, London, 15 June 2015, lot 83
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
Literature
Felix Marcilhac, Les Orientalistes, La vie et l’oeuvre de Jacques Majorelle, vol. VII, Courbevoie, 1988, pp. 152-53, catalogued & illustrated
Condition
The cardboard is flat, even, and ensuring a stable support. There are some pin-head sized nail holes along the extreme upper and lower edges, covered by the frame, with some associated small spots of paint loss. The medium is strong and well preserved. This picture is in good condition and is ready to hang. Presented glazed, in a gilt frame.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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."
Catalogue Note
Jacques Majorelle is renowned for introducing a new pictorial language to the genre of Orientalist painting with his innovative style that takes inspiration from Art Nouveau and modern trends pervading French art. On his first visit to Morocco in 1917, Majorelle instantly fell in love with the vibrant light and local colour, as well as the topography of the landscape. Unlike many of Majorelle’s colourful kasbah paintings, the present work is composed of a muted chiaroscuro palette of greys and browns juxtaposed with sandy whites, a dramatic evocation of the arid terrain and near-blinding effect of the relentless Saharan sun. The gold and silver highlights, which dominate the work, further add to this scintillating effect. Combined with the sharp verticality of the kasbah and stepped chiaroscuro, this creates a strong graphic dimension. The two figures at the bottom of the work give the view scale and underscore the vastness of the Atlas.
Majorelle first discovered and painted the Atlas’s kasbahs in 1921. Nestled in the steep-sided valleys of the otherwise remote landscape, these terraced mountain villages had remained closed to westerners. Their simple geometric arrangement appealed to Majorelle's penchant for precise and rigorous drawing and eye for design acquired as a boy in his father's furniture-making workshop and whilst studying architecture as part of his artistic training in Nancy.
Majorelle first discovered and painted the Atlas’s kasbahs in 1921. Nestled in the steep-sided valleys of the otherwise remote landscape, these terraced mountain villages had remained closed to westerners. Their simple geometric arrangement appealed to Majorelle's penchant for precise and rigorous drawing and eye for design acquired as a boy in his father's furniture-making workshop and whilst studying architecture as part of his artistic training in Nancy.