Henri Charles Manguin

HENRI CHARLES MANGUIN (Paris, 1874-Saint-Tropez, 1949).
"Villeneuve-lès-Avignon", 1936.
Oil on canvas adhered to cardboard.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Provenance: Gallerie Paul Valloton of Lausanne, Suitzeland. Swiss private collection.
Exhibitions: "Manguin", Gallerie de l'Elysée, Paris. 1938, nº17. Centenary Manguin: Gallerie de Paris, Paris, 1976.
Bibliography: Sainsaulieu, M-C, Raissoné Catalog, "Henri Manguin", Neeuchatel, 1980, pag 331, nº 1041, reproduced.
Measurements: 28.50 x 40.50 cm, 50 x 61 cm (frame).

The artist of this work configures a scene of popular character through small touches of brush, which reveal a composition where the colorful and vibrant movement of the scene is faithfully reflected. The artist thus manages to transfer the real atmosphere to a canvas. The painting is characterized by a special luminous sensitivity typical of currents such as impressionism. The author has created, thanks to his mastery of color, the significance of the work, differentiating the more nuanced foregrounds from a uniformly illuminated background, where light tones alternate on the horizon, closed in this case on one of the sides by the presence of vegetation of more intense tones. The short, fragmented and expressive brushstroke models the scene through gradation and chromatic contrast, revealing the lyricism of the landscape.

In 1890, Manguin left his studies at the Lycée Colbert to devote himself entirely to painting. In 1894 he joined the École des Beaux-Arts, where he trained in Gustave Moreau's studio. During this time, he became close friends with Henri Matisse and Albert Marquet. In 1899, he married Jeanne Marie Carette, who was his model in many of his works for over thirty years. The couple moved into a house on Rue Boursault, where Manguin built a workshop in the garden with removable panels. This space was visited by artists such as Matisse, Marquet, Derain, Camoin and Puy, and became an important center for the development of Fauvism.

In September 1904, at the invitation of Paul Signac, Manguin visited Saint-Tropez and was captivated by the light of the Mediterranean. Despite Signac's influence, Manguin did not adopt the pointillist style, and continued his own search for a painting that harmonized color and maintained compositional balance. In the summer of 1905, he returned to Saint-Tropez, where he produced several paintings inspired by the festivities of July 14, some of them without using traditional perspective. In October, he exhibited five of his paintings in the famous "cage aux fauves" at the Salon d'Automne. In 1906, the art dealer Ambroise Vollard bought 150 of his works. In the following years, Manguin forged a friendship with Henri-Edmond Cross and Félix Vallotton, who connected him with prominent Swiss collectors.

Manguin remained faithful to the principles of Fauvism throughout his career, creating landscapes and still lifes that were distinguished by their harmony and balance. From the 1920s onwards, he alternated his residence in Paris with long stays in Saint-Tropez, Marseille and Neuilly-sur-Seine. After a brief illness, he died in Saint-Tropez on September 25, 1949, at the age of 75.