Henri Matisse, Nice Travail et Joie, 1947
We Brits love a chat about the weather, and our recent circa-0°C climate has certainly been the topic of the moment in our galleries this week. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be glad to see the back of this most chilly January and looking forward to some sunnier times ahead. To tide you over, I hope this week’s newsletter will harness the transformative powers of art to bring a sense of sunshine and warmth to your day.
From a figurative Mediterranean scene, to more abstract, yet equally soul-warming compositions, these works never fail to remind us of balmier days. So take a look, enjoy and don’t hesitate to reach out for more information on any of the pieces.
Any questions? We are happy to help. Call: 0117 279 6402 or send us a message now.
Henri Matisse, Nice Travail et Joie, 1947
This 1947 travel poster was created exclusively for the city of Nice, where Matisse settled towards the later part of his life. Entitled ‘Nice, Work and Joy’, it features one of Matisse's last window paintings and is highly characteristic of his work: from its expressive strokes of vibrant colour, to its sumptuously Mediterranean subject matter.
Thanks to figures such as Fernand Mourlot, original posters have become collectable works of art in their own right. This particularly rare poster is in excellent condition and comes from an edition which we know Matisse was especially fond of, as he had a copy on the walls of his own studio!
David Hockney, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Yorkshire
A wonderful image of the famous Salts Mill in Saltaire, Yorkshire, home to one of the world's largest collections of work by Hockney. It was established in its current form by Jonathan Silver, a close friend of the artist. During a visit by Hockney in the summer of 1997, Silver encouraged him to paint Yorkshire. A series of oils duly began to appear, resplendent scenes of vibrant colour and dreamlike perspective. This was to eventually culminate in Hockney's acclaimed exhibition of landscapes at the Royal Academy in 2012. The artist would regularly drop in at Salts Mill, and while there would sign prints and posters for visitors. This beautiful piece is fantastic example of exactly that.
Hockney is one of the most beloved British artists of all time, and desire for his hand-signed works remains incredibly strong. This piece was purchased directly from the gallery in Saltaire and is a wonderful opportunity to acquire a work only one step removed from Hockney himself.
Henri Matisse, Souvenir d'Oceanie, 1958
In 1954, Matisse began working on a series of 40 lithographs alongside the legendary Fernand Mourlot, each of which reproduced one of his iconic ‘cut-out’ series. The collection was published after his death in 1958 in a volume of the French portfolio Verve, titled ‘Dernieres Oeuvres de Matisse’ (Last works of Matisse) – complete editions of which are now incredibly rare.
This particular piece is drawn from his 9 x 9 foot gouache Souvenir D’Oceanie (Memory of Oceania), which is currently held by the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Based on a photograph taken by Matisse on a trip to Tahiti in 1930, the ambiguous collection of shapes and colours intertwine to suggest a tropical maritime scene.
Ben Nicholson, Palaestra, 1966
This beautiful etching on wove paper depicts the ruined site of an Ancient Greek wrestling school and forms a part of Nicholson’s Architectural Suite. Featuring classical architectural features found by the artist in Greece, Italy and Turkey, the suite is exemplary of Nicholson’s phenomenal eye for detail, and his ability to reduce complex ideas into the most minimal of forms.
Ben Nicholson was a key player in the bridging of British and mainland-European Art in the first half of the twentieth century, paving the way for the work of later Modern British artists to be considered akin to that of the European greats in quality and value. Though he had such great influence on Modern British Art, examples of his work on paper in good condition are rare and increasingly difficult to come by – thus bolstering his potential as a solid investment.
Victor Pasmore, Points of Contact No. 37, 1982
In 1947, Victor Pasmore began developing his abstract style, inspired by his affiliation with Paul Klee, Ben Nicholson and numerous other artists in ‘Circle’ (a publication which sought to promote Constructivism both in Britain and internationally). One of the most successful products of his experiments with abstraction is his long-running Points of Contact series, in which the medium of print provided the perfect vehicle for the artist to explore the potential of colour, line and form to create both a sense of motion, and a harmonious balance.
Pasmore’s work has inspired numerous aspects of contemporary visual culture, from interior design to the abstract fine arts. As such, his style is widely recognised, and original, hand-signed works, are increasingly desirable.
Any questions? We are happy to help. Call: 0117 279 6402 or send us a message now.
