JACQUES MAJORELLE | Women of West Africa

'Looking for new subjects to paint, it was in the autumn of 1945 that Jacques Majorelle decided to respond to the call of West Africa. Now that this difficult wartime period was over, he prepared for the trip in the hope of finding new African models even more characterful than those he had already painted in Marrakech, with their proud allure, elegant walk and figures he so admired'

Félix & Amélie Marcilhac

Best known up until then for his views of Morocco in general and Marrakech in particular (see previous lots), Majorelle's trip to Mali (then known as French Sudan) in Autumn 1945 marked a new departure. Kayes, Bamako, and Bougouni were the main settlements he painted. He later travelled to Guinea in 1947, and the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Guinea in 1952. Amélie Marcilhac has identified the present work as depicting either a village in Mali or Guinea. Majorelle’s trip inspired him to experiment and embrace ever more vibrant colour harmonies, as visible in the present work: saturated tones of blue, yellow and red.

A certificate from Amélie Marcilhac may be requested by the buyer.