$45,000
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000
Auction: January 23, 2018 10:00:00 AM EDT
Signed, titled and dated 'Henry Moret/Lorient/90' bottom left, oil on canvas
14 3/4 x 17 3/4 in. (37.5 x 45.1cm)
Provenance: Private Collection, Pennsylvania.
NOTE:
"Henry Moret is all about Brittany; Brittany is all about Moret". This observation by author Henri Hugault in 1959 accurately describes French artist Henry Moret's paintings, as many depict Brittany, a hilly peninsula in the northwest of France. Henry Moret discovered the rugged landscapes of Brittany when he was 19, while on military service. When his superior noticed his artistic talents, he decided to send him to art class. There, he studied under the direction of Ernest Corroler, who taught him the art of landscape painting and encouraged him to enroll at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied under Jean-Léon Gérome and history painter Jean-Paul Laurens. After spending several years in the French capital, Moret decided to return to Brittany. He briefly stayed in Le Pouldu in 1881, before moving to Pont-Aven, where he met Émile Jourdan, Charles Lavant and Paul Gauguin, who strongly influenced his work. In 1895, he was introduced to the Durand-Ruel Gallery, who turned out to be his main client until his death.
The present painting depicts the city of Lorient, where the artist completed his military service at the age of 19, and where he returned to live in 1896. Moret's oeuvre includes other scenes of Lorient. In the present painting, the artist invites us to a promenade along a street covered with autumn leaves during a beautiful, peaceful day. When Moret moved back to Lorient, he found new inspiring themes and immersed himself more in Impressionism, hence revealing his love of nature. The present painting seems to illustrate this transition of style, as the paint is applied in rich flecks rather than broad strokes, which were typical of the Pont-Aven Artist Colony at the same time.
We wish to thank Mr. Jean-Yves Rolland for confirming the authenticity of the present lot. The painting will be included in the forthcoming new edition of the Catalogue Raisonné of the artist's work, and will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.