Sixty Works by Modern Masters - Flipbook - Page 57
Georges Rouault
"The artist discards all theories,
both his own and those of others.
He forgets everything when he is in
front of his canvas."
Georges Rouault
French, 1871 - 1958
Pierrot, 1935-1939
Oil on paper laid down on canvas
24¾ x 18 inches / 64 x 47 cm
Georges Rouault began an
apprenticeship as a stained glass
painter and restorer in 1885 at the
age of fourteen. The influence of
this experience on the artist’s work,
particularly on his more mature
style, became evident in heavy black
contouring and bright, flat colours
which seem to echo the appearance
of panels of leaded glass.
The present picture is a fine example
from a subject matter dedicated to
courts, clowns and prostitutes that
Rouault began to explore in around
1907. His highly psychological
portraits from this time can be said to
highlight the marginal social status
of the masquerading and performing
figures they depict. The recurring
figure of the Pierrot in Rouault’s
oeuvre carries special weight, having
been interpreted as a self-portrait:
“...the old clown seated on the side
of his trailer mending his glittering
and colourful costume, the contrast
of brilliant, scintillating things,
made to amuse us and this life of
infinite sadness...I clearly saw that
the ‘clown’ was me, it was us...” –
Georges Rouault
Provenance
Estate of the Artist
Private collection
This painting is accompanied by a
certificate of authentication kindly
issued by the Fondation Rouault
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