LOUIS LE BROCQUY, H.R.H.A. | LAUSSEL VENUS (OPUS 708)

Galerie Jeunne Boucher, Paris;

Gimpel Fils, London;

Sotheby's, London, 29 March 2011, lot 55, where purchased by the present owner

Laussel Venus belongs to a series of works known as 'Human Images' that span from 1996 to 2004. The title refers to the ancient stone figurine carvings that date back to circa 30,000BCE. The Venus of Laussel, in Dordogne, was found in 1911 and to observe this mysterious image, one notes how the figure appears inseparably interlocked to the stone from which it 'emerges'. In the present work, le Brocquy evokes this sensation in the tonal and layered qualities of his brushwork.

The 'Human Image' series is a further development of his 'Presence' series (1955-66) in which le Brocquy explores the mystery of the human spirit with subtle evocations of the human form through layers of paint. Commenting on the internal qualities of a person was a continuing concern for le Brocquy, most explicit in his 'Head' works, and 'Human Images' is another extension of this theme. Here, le Brocquy's focus shifts to the body as he seeks to explore the complex mind-body relationship, about which modern science continues to debate. One of the most remarkable qualities is le Brocquy's commitment to a specific pictorial composition, with subtle variations upon the present structure, which reminds and compels us to revisit and revise our preconceived ideas. As Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith writes, 'That alone is enough to ensure the continuing value of Louis le Brocquy's exemplary long-term commitment to the painterly investigation of "the mysterious state of conscious being."'