On 8 December, the French auction house Rossini will hold their ‘Modern Art and Greek Art’ sale. The catalogue will take buyers back through time with 270 pieces from Impressionist to contemporary artists. About half of the lots are dedicated to modern and contemporary paintings and sculptures, while the other half will introduce buyers to the richness of the production of Greek artists.
Le port de Trouville à marée basse (The Port of Trouville at Low Tide) from 1894 is one of the last works produced by Eugène Boudin. This oil on parquet panel is dated and signed by this painter who was noticed by Alexandre Dumas and Charles Baudelaire. Eugène Boudin knew the beginnings of Impressionism; a self-taught artist, he specialised in landscapes because he was seduced by the nature that surrounded him. He was fondest of beaches and shores, the tide and other maritime subjects. Thus, this painting by Boudin is a fine illustration of his production, depicting one of his favourite subjects in his signature fast and nervous style, nearly sketching to capture a spontaneous moment. If Boudin's work charms you, a sketch attributed to him, Pêcheurs en bord de mer (Fishermen by the Sea), will also be on sale.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the pioneers of Impressionism. An essential name in modern art, it is a privilege to be able to admire one of his works in this December sale. Paysage, allée de ferme avec femme en rouge et blanc (Landscape, Farm Alley with Woman in Red and White), an oil on canvas from 1918, bears his signature. It was made a year before the painter's death and embodies a perfect representation of the work of Renoir, who at the end of his life slowly broke away from the Impressionist mainstream for a more realistic style.
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux is perhaps best known for his sculptures, but he also executed many drawings and paintings. His career was brief but intense, and his works exude melancholy. He was a talented portrait painter, a genius sculptor, and with this oil on canvas entitled Pietà, we observe another facet of this artist: a painter quick to portray his moods through painful or dark subjects. Here, the religious subject figures fleeting silhouettes, ghosts creating a fascinating sense of worry and unease in the viewer.
Next, we leap through time to take a look at some contemporary artists. This untitled India ink and watercolour on paper is dated 1963 and signed by Georges Mathieu. He was a French theorist and painter who launched the movement of lyrical abstraction and informal art after World War II. In this painting, as well as many others by Georges Mathieu, we see similarities to Jackson Pollock's famous splattering technique: jerky, rhythmic movements and lines of ink and colour that are expressed through the gesture of creation. Among the other contemporary artists, one notable piece is a 1996 oil on canvas by Bernard Cathelin, a painter who was influenced by travelling through Japan as well as by his friendship with Matisse.
Finally, we’ll take a look at a few of the renowned Greek artists who are invited to the sale.
Thanos Tsingos was a prolific artist from the mid-twentieth century, creating nearly 2,000 paintings. One notable painting is this untitled oil on canvas from 1955, dominated by swaths of red and blue. Where the flat areas of colour mix together we can almost distinguish forms, a figuration that would give a particular meaning to this canvas. Tsingos' work is imbued with lyricism, and by painting with his hands he created a special link with his works.
To close this overview, here is an untitled work by Costas Varotsos dating from 2000, which is an accumulation of translucent blue glass blocks attached to a column. Varotsos is a contemporary Greek artist who has been particularly influential in the twenty-first century. His works lie between sculpture and installation art, with glass being the material he likes most. It is the transparency of the material that fascinates him, and he transforms it into clean, geometric shapes that are captivating in their simplicity.
The ‘Modern Art and Greek Art’ sale will take place on 8 December, at Rossini.
![Henry Moret, ‘Deux barques dans l’anse, calme plat’ (‘Two Boats in the Handle, Dead Calm’) [detail], 1896, oil on canvas. Image © Thierry-Lannon & Associés](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/d63967b0-99cd-442d-9c4d-20012d505bde_Cover.jpg?auto=format,compress)
