Sold for: $58,250

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist in Paris
By descent to the present Private Collection, USA

Executed in 1953, this watercolour is emblematic of Jean Paul Riopelle’s exhilarating early 1950s period. During that time, he joined prominent galleries such as Galerie Pierre Loeb in Paris and the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York, and he befriended artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Georges Mathieu, Zao Wou-Ki and Jacques Germain. Perfectly in tune with the artistic Zeitgeist of the post–World War II era, Riopelle created highly rhythmic and effervescent works during that period, and this piece is no exception. Sans titre is a shimmering and kaleidoscopic watercolour. The surface of the work is entirely covered with a vibrant palette of pomegranate red, yellow, navy, grey and amethyst. A complex web-like network of sharp, calligraphic black lines is arranged atop this colourful background, resulting in an organic and dynamic whole. The pictorial surface of the work is remarkably expressive and invites our eye to dance across it. The artist’s energy is palpable in his confident strokes and tangled colours and lines. Throughout his career, Riopelle exhibited his works both nationally and internationally, and he received many awards and recognitions, including the UNESCO prize in 1962 and the Order of Canada in 1969.

This work is included as an addendum in Yseult Riopelle's online catalogue raisonné on the artist's work at http://www.riopelle.ca.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars