Kees Van Dongen, La Matchiche, Fauves, Collection Pierre Lévy, 1972

Description

Lithograph on vélin d'Arches. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Fauves, VII, Collection Pierre Levy, 1972; … more Lithograph on vélin d'Arches. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Fauves, VII, Collection Pierre Levy, 1972; published by Fernand Mourlot, Paris; printed by Mourlot Frères, Paris, November 24, 1972. Excerpted from the folio, This album, The seventh in a series dedicated to Mr. Pierre Lévy's collection, was printed in M examples on Arches vélin. Printing was finished on November 24, 1972 by Mourlot for reproductions of the paintings of the Fauves and by Fequet and Baudier for typography. Fernand Mourlot, Paris 1972.

KEES VAN DONGEN (1877–1968), born Cornelis Theodorus Maria 'Kees' van Dongen (1877 –1968) was a Dutch-French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. Fauves was coined by art critic Louis Vauxcelles for the group of artist that used bright colors. By 1905 he had left the influence of his training and symbolism style to become more controversial by exhibiting at the Salon d’Automne exhibit with a more radical form and color. His most important period is considered to be 1905-1920 where he focused on dancers, singers, masquerades, theater and all types of after-hours life. When he started to exhibit in Paris with Matisse, Derain, Marquet, Vlaminck, Camoin and Puy, he moved into a more avante-garde styling. Other artist that were moving to this form included, i Vlaminck, Friesz, Rousseau, Delaunay, Marquet, and Vuillard. These painters all felt the need to renew their methods of painting. Van Dongen (married to Augusta Preitinger by now) moved to Montmartre in 1906 where he was part of Pablo Picasso’s circle. He sold paintings, did sketches for a newspaper and held costume balls which he charge admission for all to make money. It was after the World War I that he started to create the lush colors of his Fauvist style. This helped cement a reputation in the upper class of France where he had a demand for his portraits. By 1959, Kees van Dongen was not living Monaco. Nine years later he would die. A large part of his work is held by the New National Museum of Monaco. less