Irish Art
Irish Art
A July Morn, Place du Tertre, Paris
Lot Closed
May 10, 01:06 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
Harry Kernoff, R.H.A.
1900 - 1974
A July Morn, Place du Tertre, Paris
signed KERNOFF and dated 37 (lower left)
oil on board
unframed: 63.5 by 94cm.; 25 by 37in.
framed: 80 by 105cm.; 31½ by 41¼in.
Executed in 1937.
__________________________________________________________________________
Harry Kernoff, R.H.A.
1900 - 1974
A July Morn, Place du Tertre, Paris
signé KERNOFF et daté 37 (en bas à gauche)
huile sur panneau
sans cadre: 63.5 by 94cm.; 25 by 37in.
avec cadre: 80 by 105cm.; 31½ by 41¼in.
Exécuté en 1937.
Acquired directly from the Artist in the 1960s and thence by descent to the present owners
-----------------------------
Acquis directement auprès de l'artiste dans les années 1960, puis par descendance au propriétaire actuel
Dublin, Royal Hibernian Academy, 1937, no.164
Harry Kernoff was a great chronicler of the everyday, bringing his subjects to life through his distinct, rhythmical style. The present work is a wonderful evocation of Paris as the city stirs on a sunny July morning. Place du Tertre, located in Montmarte under the shadow of the Sacré Coeur, has long appealed to artists. In painting here, Kernoff was following in the footsteps of many of the great modern masters from Picasso, Modigliani and Utrillo who at one stage resided in the area. Today, it remains a hub for artists who set up their easels and display their work.
We see this artistic focus reflected in name of the café on the left of the present work: Jeune Peinture. Discreetly sat underneath it - between two cloth capped locals - is Kernoff himself, wearing his customary trilby hat. In the lower right corner, an elderly figure stands with a portfolio under his arm, another artist beginning his day. Restauranteurs prepare their tables, while a few early patrons have taken their seats. Colourful umbrellas stand in front of ‘Maison Catherine’ – a sign still visible today. Located above in a window overlooking the square, a lady stands on her balcony. In the foreground, two girls and a dog loiter idly.
The scene is a perfect stage for Kernoff’s keen eye and playful sense of form, which enabled him to uniquely convey the character of his subject, whether that be Paris or his more familiar scenes of Dublin and Dubliners. Another example of Paris also from 1937, Sunday Evening – Place du Combat, Paris, was sold Sotheby’s, Paris, May 2022 and is now in the Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland where it is currently on display. The present work is making its auction debut having remained in a private collection since the 1960s.
You May Also Like