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Paintings

Time for time ! In paintings auctions, old masters hold sway over a huge field covering seven centuries from graeco-byzantine icons to romantic landscapes.
Impressionist and modern paintings follow close on their heels, from 1870, up to the second world war, with the impressionists and neo-impressionists, then the fauves, cubists and surrealists.
As from 1945, post-war and contemporary paintings range from abstract expressionism up to arte povera, by way of spatialism and pop art. The paintings offered in online paintings auctions provide a stunning overview of the entire history of art, with religious paintings, still lifes, vanitases, flower and genre paintings of the dutch and flemish schools, historical subjects and mythological scenes, history paintings and works from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Pictorial revolutions from the late 19th century and the thrilling age of the 20th century avant-gardes parade before us in auctions, right through to the very latest in subversive art.

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Paul SIGNAC (1863-1935) - Autograph letter signed with watercolor drawing addressed to a friend. December 4 [19]28, 3 pages in-8 in watercolor and ink on paper, framed. Original watercolor drawing of the Pont Neuf in Paris. Signed lower right on page 4. Dimensions of drawing: 12.7 cm. x 16.6 cm. Size of drawing and text: 20 x 16 cm. Transcription of text: "Dec. 4, 28 Dear friends, I'd like to thank Admiral Le Mordu for supplying the squadron with this excellent pasta. The crews strutted their stuff in his honor! We've started to enjoy them. As we had a Breton maid, who was kind but a little naive, I ordered her to make me a dish of stuffed macaroni, and explained to her how it should be done: using a knitting needle, make a meat mince with 3 herbs according to the rules in Paris, stuff the tubes of pasta with this mince and, if necessary, use her breath to make it penetrate the ends of the tubes. After an hour, she came to tell me she couldn't do it. I don't think you're surprised. Will we be seeing you in Paris soon? For the children's party at Gaston's, maybe! Why don't you drop by sometime and say hello? We love you beautiful children! With our thanks, we send our best regards to both of you, and hugs to the little ones. Paul Signac As I'm just a vulgar tapper, if you could occasionally send me a pound of real flour (there's only plaster to be found there) it would be a feast! We'd make crêpes: our Breton woman, if she can't make stuffed macaroni, makes excellent crêpes... When she has good flour. Behold my shamelessness!" (sunstroke, freckles) Provenance Private collection, France

Estim. 2,500 - 3,000 EUR

Henry MORET (1856-1913) "Ouessant, pointe de Creach, 1901", Oil on canvas signed and dated lower right, 60.5 x 81.5 cm. - Roman Norbert Ketterer (Art dealer & Auctioneer in Lugano) in 1974 (accompanied by a letter and a customs invoice evoking the provenance) - Thyssen Bornemisza Group - Private collection A certificate of authenticity from Mr. Jean-Yves Rolland will be given to the buyer. The work will be included in the artist's catalog raisonné currently in preparation. Present in the collections of numerous European and American museums, Henry Moret is today considered one of the key players in the artistic revolution that flourished in Brittany in the late 1880s. His proximity to Paul Gauguin, Emile Bernard, Charles Filiger and Paul Sérusier made him a privileged witness to the effervescence that accompanied the birth and affirmation of synthesism. Endowed with an independent temperament, Henry Moret quickly overcame the debates that stirred this small cenacle tempted by Symbolist sirens to focus solely on the absolute necessity of translating the frank beauty of Breton landscapes. A connoisseur of the diversity of the Armorican shores, he tirelessly surveyed the coastline from the Quiberon peninsula to the Abers region. His proximity to the Ponant islands (especially Belle-Ile, Groix and Ouessant) also nourishes his inspiration. Above all, it enabled him to assimilate and continue the work initiated by Claude Monet in Belle-Ile in 1886. In the early 1890s, his paintings were exhibited at salons associated with the artistic avant-garde (notably Barc de Boutteville and the Salon des Indépendants), earning him a well-deserved reputation. Quickly spotted in 1895 by Paul Durand-Ruel, the famous Impressionist gallery owner, he benefited from the latter's unfailing support and began the most fruitful period of his career. Indeed, it was from these years until the beginning of the 20th century that his painting acquired a form of maturity unmatched by many of his contemporaries. Dated 1901, our large canvas is undoubtedly one of the pure masterpieces painted by the artist during these fertile years. For proof of this, we need only recall that it once belonged to one of Europe's most prestigious collections, that of Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, renowned for his discerning taste. Its subject and workmanship are also reminiscent of a masterpiece from the Musée de Pont-Aven collections dating from 1901/1902. The latter depicts a cliff landscape on Ouessant, and it seems perfectly plausible to situate our painting in the same geographical environment. Above and beyond the subject, which harmoniously blends the permanence of the rocks with the movement of the ocean and sky, it is the marvellous pictorial qualities of this canvas that enchant all our awakened senses. How can we fail to feel the gentle rustle of the sea breeze as it hems the sea or coats the brightly-lit grass? How can we fail to be intoxicated by the infinite horizon, where the light vapors of the ocean merge with those of the sky? How can we fail to be enthralled by this bath of vivid colors to which the painter invites us, a veritable ode to the colorful magic of a luminous island day? Everywhere, the quivering brushstroke leaps and sculpts the relief of the cliffs as much as it accompanies the undertow of the sea currents: soft greens irrigated with yellow nuances for the vegetation, golden or pinkish ochres for the rocks, a subtle blend of deep blues enhanced by green reflections for the sea, and here culminates the dazzling whiteness of the foam! A master of the art of suggestion, Henry Moret composes one of his most brilliant chromatic scores, elevating the art of Impressionist landscape painting to its pinnacle. Adorned with all these qualities, this major work appears for what it is: an irreplaceable testimony to the formidable painter Henry Moret was.

Estim. 90,000 - 110,000 EUR

JAIME (Jaume) HUGUET and his workshop (Valls circa 1415-Barcelona 1492) Saint Magdalene Oil on altarpiece panel, egg painting on rectangular pine panel (old restorations) 103.5 x 69 cm Thickness: 3 cm Provenance : Collection of surgeon Henri Hartmann, Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, until 1951 ; Remained in the family. In front of a conch-shaped niche resting on columns with gilded capitals and bases, Saint Madeleine is placed in front of a cloth of honor imitating velvet embossed with vegetal motifs painted in black on a gold background. The sectioning of the panel has removed the feet of the saint, who stands slightly turned to the left. She is dressed in an ample red mantle lined with green, highlighted with gold piping in relief, which opens wide to reveal a long-sleeved violet dress pleated at the waist, its bust embellished with gold braids in relief. With her right hand, she holds the jar of ointments (her attribute), while her left hand holds the sacred book and a section of her cloak. Her oval face, with its open forehead framed by long, bifid hair, exudes an expression of gentle, meditative melancholy. Jaime Huguet was born in Valls (Tarragona province) around 1412. When his father died in 1419, he and his brother Antoni were placed under the tutelage of his uncle, the painter Pere Huguet. After an initial apprenticeship with the latter, who had settled in Tarragona around 1424, Jaime continued his training in Barcelona, where he followed his uncle in 1434.Between 1434 and 1448, some critics (Gudiol, Alcolea, Ainaud de Lasarte)[1] have suggested that Jaime Huguet, now a trained painter, may have stayed in Saragossa, following Archbishop Dalmau de Mur, who had previously headed the Tarragona diocese. A little later, his stylistic imprint is to be found on Aragonese painters, notably Martin de Soria. In the absence of precise documentation, this stay is denied by critics such as Rosa Alcoy[2], who assume that the painter was active in Catalonia at the time. Documents do not confirm Jaime Huguet's definitive move to Barcelona until August 1448. He married in 1454. A recognized painter, he ran a large workshop, surrounded by assistants, and took on numerous commissions from the king, religious brotherhoods and commercial guilds in the city and the Catalan region. From the altarpiece of Saint Vincent de Sarria, circa 1450-1460, to the one dedicated to Saint Sebastian and Saint Tecla (Barcelona, cathedral) documented from 1486 to 1498[3], there are some ten altarpieces, often monumental, from Huguet's workshop. Our Saint Magdalene was undoubtedly created in this workshop, under the direction of Jaime Huguet. The Vergos family[4], linked to Jaime's family since 1454 and one of whose members, the painter-decorator Jaume Vergos II, was a witness at Huguet's wedding, were the main assistants to the master. Vergos II's two sons, Pau and Rafael, continued the ties between the two families after Jaime Huguet's death in 1492. Indeed, critics have noted the presence of one of these assistants in certain scenes of the altarpiece of Saint Augustine (Barcelona, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) for the eponymous convent in Barcelona, commissioned in 1463 and completed in 1486, of which Huguet produced only the Episcopal Consecration of the saint and, in the predella, the Last Supper and the Ascent to Calvary (Museu Marès, Barcelona) (cf. Gudiol, Alcolea, figs. 835,837,78). Jaime Vergos II was also responsible for a large part of the altarpiece of Saint Stephen in Granollers (1493-1500) (Barcelona, Museu Nacional d'art de Catalunya), which he executed after the death of his son Pau in 1495 and that of Jaime Huguet in 1492. It is precisely to this atmosphere surrounding Jaime Huguet and his workshop that several historians have proposed to link this as yet unpublished Saint Magdalene. Consulted in 1987-1990 by its last owner, Charles Sterling (letter dated September 18, 1987) placed it at the end of the artist's career, while M. C. Farré i Sempera attributed it to Jaime Vergos[5]. In this as yet undiscovered altarpiece, alongside Huguet's soft, penetrating expression, we detect a drier execution in the description of the garment and ornamentation, suggesting the hand of a collaborator. It was undoubtedly the latter who later executed the Carrying of the Cross (Barcelona, MNAC no. 24.154), the predella panel of the altarpiece of Saint Etienne de Granollers, which reproduces the scene with the same subject painted by Huguet in the altarpiece of Saint Augustin (Barcelona, Musée Marès). We must therefore assume a collaboration between the Vergos and Jaime Huguet, as illustrated by our Madeleine. [1] J.Gudiol and S.Alcolea (Pintura Gotica Catalana, Barce

Estim. 10,000 - 15,000 EUR

Bernard BOUTET DE MONVEL, Series of preparatory photographs printed on paper for commissions of society portraits, max. size 16 x 12 cm, circa 1910-1920 [More than 40 documents] Set of preparatory photographs for large-scale commissions of society portraits. The first is a photograph of Pierre Quinsonas in polo costume, taken in Bernard Boutet de Monvel's studio. The artist then chose to portray his friend in front of the polo field at Bagatelle, near Paris. A dandy, Pierre de Quinsonas was well known to the Paris socialites. He was also an avid hunter, and was represented with his rifle in hand in "Portrait du comte pierre de Quinsonas en chasseur", 1914. The lot also includes preparatory photographs for this second painting of the Count. Mobilized during the First World War, he was posted as marshal des Logis in the first Moroccan aviation group. He died on July 19, 1917 at the Versailles military hospital, after a plane crash at Villacoublay airfield. Related works : Bernard Boutet de Monvel, "Le comte Pierre de Quinsonas", oil on canvas, Musée des années 30, Boulogne-Billancourt; reproduction of the preparatory drawing and painting in ADDADE, "Bernard Boutet de Monvel", Éditions de l'amateur, 2001, p. 110-111. Bernard Boutet de Monvel, "Portrait du comte pierre de Quinsonas en chasseur", oil on canvas, 1914, private collection, sold at Artcurial in 2015 (Lot 22, no. 2755). Also in the lot is a series of photographs printed on paper, with negatives, for a portrait of Mr. Georges-Marie Haardt in 1925. He worked for Citroën for twenty years, first as sales manager, then as general manager. He was appointed head of three Citroën expeditions, first across the Sahara, then to Africa (Croisière noire), then to Asia (Croisière jaune). Boutet de Monvel depicts him standing with a folded map in his hand, his autochenille behind him. In this way, the painting retains Haardt's body position and counter-angle from the photograph. Related work: Bernard Boutet de Monvel, "M. Georges-Marie Haardt", Oil on canvas, 1925, Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, reproduced in ADDADE, "Bernard Boutet de Monvel", Éditions de l'amateur, 2001, p. 185. Bernard Boutet de Monvel built his reputation on his remarkable talent as a worldly portraitist, dominated by elegant stylization, refined drawing and refined colors. His painter friends, André Dunoyer de Segonzac (1884-1974) and Jean-Louis Boussingault (1883-1943), are thus brought together in one canvas. Camped in the middle of a hostile, vegetation-free landscape, the photograph announces the composition of the future canvas, completed and dated August 1, 1914, just one day before France entered the war. Two negatives are included with the lot, showing Bernard Boutet de Monvel's studio work for this painting. The artist duo can be seen in the same position as outdoors, posing in front of Bernard's canvases hanging in his studio. Related work : Bernard Boutet de Monvel, "MM. André Dunoyer de Segonzac et Jean-Louis Boussingault", Oil on canvas, 1914, Musée des années 30 de Boulogne-Billancourt / Musée du Petit Palais, reproduced in ADDADE, "Bernard Boutet de Monvel", Éditions de l'amateur, 2001, p. 129. The lot also includes a set of photographs printed on paper, with dry gelatin-silver bromide glass plates and negatives, used in the preparation of the painting "La convalescente", dating from 1906. While his grandmother was suffering from repeated fevers, Bernard took advantage of the end-of-year vacations to photograph her bedridden. The portrait was shown at the 1906 Autumn Salon. The canvas was purchased for the Musée du Luxembourg and is now in the collections of the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille. Related works : Bernard Boutet de Monvel, "La convalescente", oil on canvas, 1906, Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, reproduced in ADDADE, "Bernard Boutet de Monvel", Éditions de l'amateur, 2001, p. 96. Finally, the lot includes a preparatory photograph for the portrait "Sylvie de profil", sold at Sotheby's in April 2016. (Lot sold as is)

Estim. 300 - 400 EUR

Marie BRACQUEMOND (Landunvez, 1840 - Sèvres, 1916) The painter (James Tissot?) and his model in a flower garden, also known as "Étude d'après nature". Oil on canvas Signed and dated 'Marie Bracquemond. 1880' lower right The painter (James Tissot ?) and his model, oil on canvas, signed and dated, by Marie Bracquemond 16.53 × 21.25 in. H : 42.0 cm, W : 54.0 cm Bibliography : Bouillon, Jean-Paul, "Marie Bracquemond, la "dame" de l'impressionnisme", L'Estampille/l'Objet d'art, n° 458, June 2010, repr. p. 60-61. Pfeiffer, Ingrid (dir.), cat. exp. Women impressionists. Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, Marie Bracquemond (Frankfurt, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, February 22 - June 1, 2008, San Francisco, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, June 21 - September 21, 2008), repr. p. 236. Exhibitions : Cinquième exposition impressionniste: 5e exposition de peinture par Mme M. Bracquemond, M. Bracquemond, M. Caillebotte, Mlle Cassatt, M. Degas, MM. Forain, Gauguin, Guillaumin, MM. Lebourg, Levert, Mme Berthe Morisot, MM. Pissarro, M. Raffaëlli, Rouart, Tillot, Eug. Vidal, Vignon, Zandomeneghi, April 1-30, 1880, Paris, 10, rue des Pyramides, 1880, cat. no. 1: "Étude d'après nature". Works by Marie Bracquemond, preface by Gustave Geffroy, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-jeune, May 19-31, 1919, cat. no. 40: "Le Peintre". Marie BRACQUEMOND (Landunvez, 1840 - Sèvres, 1916) The painter (James Tissot ?) and his model in a garden, also called "Etude d'après nature". Signed and dated 'Marie Bracquemond. 1880' lower right H : 42.0 cm, L : 54.0 cm

Estim. 15,000 - 20,000 EUR

Ferdinand Loyen DU PUIGAUDEAU (1864-1930) "Bretonnes aux lampions", Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, signed on the back, 26 x 17.5 cm PROVENANCE : Private collection, France BIBLIOGRAPHY : Antoine Laurentin, "Catalogue raisonné de uvre peint de Ferdinand du Puigaudeau", Tome II, Paris, 2023, p.80 N°II-50 reproduced in color "Ferdinand Loyen du Puigaudeau appears in the history of the Pont-Aven school as the only one, along with Charles Laval, to establish cordial relations with Paul Gauguin in 1886, going so far as to come to his aid. Independent and not obliged to sell thanks to his family, this self-taught artist from Nantes embarked on a career, finding a style that oscillated between Impressionism, sometimes close to Pointillism, and Pont-Avenian synthetism with more structured compositions. In February 1895, he returned to Pont-Aven, settling with his wife and newborn daughter in the new Hôtel Gloanec. During this three-year stay, he witnessed the festivities organized in the village for the 14th of July, the parish pardon, the pardon of the Notre-Dame de Trémalo chapel and other events. He found a range of themes, revealing his interest in depicting nocturnal scenes. He showed great originality in painting views of funfairs, merry-go-rounds, huts housing a magic lantern or a "panorama", lantern parades, night processions or fireworks displays. The procession of girls carrying lanterns and running through the village streets in the middle of the festivities is one of his favorite themes, with studies and variations. Puigaudeau translates the effect of movement through the attitudes of the figures as they advance towards the viewer, playing on the interplay of arms, the rhythm of the four lanterns and the lighting effects on the faces and hands. which stand out against a uniform, almost vertical foreground. In the background, he conveys the general atmosphere of the festival, with the crowds milling about and the innumerable lanterns hanging from the foliage of the trees. With virtuosity, Puigaudeau links and enlivens these two parts with the bluish-whites of the headdresses and ruffles and the echoing colors of the lanterns. In his quest for colorful rhythm, he even goes so far as to paint a ruffle green! This lively study is the preparation for a monumental work - 160 cm high by 110 wide - commissioned by Count Amédée Aubert de Vincelles to decorate his château de Penanrun in Trégunc in 1896. André Cariou

Estim. 8,000 - 12,000 EUR

Alexandre ROUBTZOFF (Saint Petersburg, 1884 - Tunis, 1949) The Roman Ruins of Makthar (1940) Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, signed and dated lower right "A. Roubtzoff. 1940. July 2" and localized lower left "Maktar". Framed. H. 19 x L. 27.5 cm (when viewed). Provenance - Gift from the artist to Dr. Éloi Baysse, colonization physician in Tunisia (appointed in 1934), also a friend and physician of the artist. - Then by descent. Expert : Maxime Charron Collection of unpublished works by Alexandre Roubtzoff from Dr. Éloi Baysse, the artist's friend and physician in Tunisia. "I only came to Tunisia for a few days, and I stayed there for the rest of my life", wrote the artist in his memoirs. Alexander Roubtzoff, born in St. Petersburg on January 24, 1884, trained in the painting department of the Imperial Academy of Arts under the tutelage of Yan Frantsevich Tsionglinsky (1858-1912), a key figure in his training since Tsionglinsky was considered one of the first Russian Impressionists and was also a great traveler and lover of exotic countries. Between 1907 and 1912, Roubtzoff travelled extensively on a scholarship, taking him to Austria, Germany, Italy and Morocco, where he was unable to establish himself permanently because of the Moroccan campaign, prompting him to travel to Tunisia and settle there in 1914. The First World War prevented him from returning to Russia, and Roubtzoff took up residence in Tunis in an apartment-studio at 33 rue Al Djazira. The October Revolution of 1917 marked a major turning point in the artist's life; he severed ties with his native country, took French nationality and presented himself as "a Frenchman born in St. Petersburg". This new horizon guided him towards plein-air painting, imbued with the warmth of the Sahara sands and the contrasts of the Atlas mountains. The magic of Tunisian light and its unique nuances, as well as street scenes and depictions of Arab life, inspired Roubtzoff throughout his life, creating over 3,000 works of great diversity. The collection of completely new works presented in this sale is of a truly exclusive nature. Whether portraits or landscapes, these paintings were hitherto unknown to reference books and historians. According to family tradition, all these works originally came from the collection of Éloi Baysse, a doctor from the Cahors region, appointed in 1934 as colonization doctor in Tunisia, which explains why all the works are dated between 1935 and 1948. In his diary, Roubtzoff wrote in 1940: "It's always Dr. Baysse who takes me around the region (...)". This previously unpublished set shows the range of subjects Roubtzoff appreciated, including two portraits of major importance: the portrait of Arbia (1941) and the portrait of Marie Madeleine Leroy (1946). The portrait of Arbia highlights the artist's talent, mainly in the meticulousness of detail, the beauty of the subject and the sincerity of expression. Roubtzoff sublimates the oriental woman, clearly breaking away from the odalisque stereotype. His Bedouin portraits reveal the nobility and beauty of a people. Every detail and every pigment serves to highlight the beauty of Arbia's face, as does the use of intense blues, vibrant pinks and reds in the fabrics that dress her. As for the portrait of Marie Madeleine Leroy, General Mast's wife, it was probably commissioned by the ambassador's wife. Excelling in worldly portraits, the painter depicts her in her official residence, dressed in European style in a verdant, exotic setting. Once again demonstrating great realism, it's possible to recognize her perfectly, as in this period photo of their arrival in Tunis (see illustration). The collection also includes a number of small-format landscapes, also emblematic of Roubtzoff's body of work, the majority of which are painted in oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, a technique unique to the artist that he called "canvas boards", enabling him to transport them easily and in large quantities. The collection of Dr. Éloi Baysse's descendants will be presented to the public for the first time. It has been many years since an ensemble of this importance was auctioned off. Their dispersal will enrich the knowledge and corpus of an artist recognized and praised by his peers as "the Oriental painter".

Estim. 2,000 - 4,000 EUR

Joos van Cleve (1485 Cleves - 1540 in Antwerp) Circumference Madonna with the Infant St. John, the Lamb of God and two angels This charming, private devotional painting is an important testimony to the artistic exchange between Italian and Flemish painters during the Renaissance. The depiction, characterized by intimate affection between mother and child, is composed in a northern Alpine landscape with oak trees. The original compositional idea comes from the famous Corsini Madonna by the Florentine painter Andrea del Sarto (1486 - 1530), painted in 1513/14, which has only survived in a series of copies or workshop replicas. Other versions by Flemish painters bear witness to the success of the Corsini Madonna north of the Alps just a few years after its creation. The present painting deviates so far from the Italian source that it can clearly be assigned to the Flemish-Dutch art world - probably the circle of Joos van Cleve and his son Cornelis (1520 - 1567/70), who was working at the same time. The artist interpreted the Andrea del Sarto painting very freely, adopting Cornelis van Cleve's canopy stretched on oak branches, changing the position of the child and the depiction of Mary, who was given soft facial features and a warm, fur-lined dress. He added the standing boy John with the inscription "ECCE AGNUS DEI", the reclining Lamb of God with the staff of the cross and the lute in the hand of the angel on the right. Oil/oak panel. Two old 19th century collection seals verso; 35.5 cm x 30 cm. Frame. Among the comparable works are three paintings with the same composition sold at auction in recent years: Veilinghuis Loeckx, Ghent, 24.11.2015, lot 351; Artcurial, Paris, 13.11.2018, lot 10; Sotheby's, New York, 22.10.2021, lot 124. General reference: M. J. Friedländer: "Nachträgliches zu Cornelis van Cleve" in: Oud Holland, 60, 1943, pp. 7-14, fig. 1. Provenance: from the important collection of the Frankfurt banking family von Bethmann, which grew over generations. Circle of Joos van Cleve (1485 - 1540). Oil on oak panel. Two 19th C. collector's seals.

Estim. 3,600 - 7,200 EUR

Alexandre ROUBTZOFF (Saint Petersburg, 1884 - Tunis, 1949) View of the town of El Kef (1948) Oil on canvas, signed, dated and localized lower right "El. Kef. 6. 8. Nov. 1948. A. Roubtzoff". Framed. H. 33.5 x W. 55 cm. Provenance - Gift from the artist to Dr. Éloi Baysse, colonization physician in Tunisia (appointed in 1934), also a friend and physician of the artist. - Then by descent. Expert : Maxime Charron Collection of unpublished works by Alexandre Roubtzoff from Dr. Éloi Baysse, the artist's friend and physician in Tunisia. "I only came to Tunisia for a few days, and I stayed there for the rest of my life", wrote the artist in his memoirs. Alexander Roubtzoff, born in St. Petersburg on January 24, 1884, trained in the painting department of the Imperial Academy of Arts under the tutelage of Yan Frantsevich Tsionglinsky (1858-1912), a key figure in his training since Tsionglinsky was considered one of the first Russian Impressionists and was also a great traveler and lover of exotic countries. Between 1907 and 1912, Roubtzoff travelled extensively on a scholarship, taking him to Austria, Germany, Italy and Morocco, where he was unable to establish himself permanently because of the Moroccan campaign, prompting him to travel to Tunisia and settle there in 1914. The First World War prevented him from returning to Russia, and Roubtzoff took up residence in Tunis in an apartment-studio at 33 rue Al Djazira. The October Revolution of 1917 marked a major turning point in the artist's life; he severed ties with his native country, took French nationality and presented himself as "a Frenchman born in St. Petersburg". This new horizon guided him towards plein-air painting, imbued with the warmth of the Sahara sands and the contrasts of the Atlas mountains. The magic of Tunisian light and its unique nuances, as well as street scenes and depictions of Arab life, inspired Roubtzoff throughout his life, creating over 3,000 works of great diversity. The collection of completely new works presented in this sale is of a truly exclusive nature. Whether portraits or landscapes, these paintings were hitherto unknown to reference books and historians. According to family tradition, all these works originally came from the collection of Éloi Baysse, a doctor from the Cahors region, appointed in 1934 as colonization doctor in Tunisia, which explains why all the works are dated between 1935 and 1948. In his diary, Roubtzoff wrote in 1940: "It's always Dr. Baysse who takes me around the region (...)". This previously unpublished set shows the range of subjects Roubtzoff appreciated, including two portraits of major importance: the portrait of Arbia (1941) and the portrait of Marie Madeleine Leroy (1946). The portrait of Arbia highlights the artist's talent, mainly in the meticulousness of detail, the beauty of the subject and the sincerity of expression. Roubtzoff sublimates the oriental woman, clearly breaking away from the odalisque stereotype. His Bedouin portraits reveal the nobility and beauty of a people. Every detail and every pigment serves to highlight the beauty of Arbia's face, as does the use of intense blues, vibrant pinks and reds in the fabrics that dress her. As for the portrait of Marie Madeleine Leroy, General Mast's wife, it was probably commissioned by the ambassador's wife. Excelling in worldly portraits, the painter depicts her in her official residence, dressed in European style in a verdant, exotic setting. Once again demonstrating great realism, it's possible to recognize her perfectly, as in this period photo of their arrival in Tunis (see illustration). The collection also includes a number of small-format landscapes, also emblematic of Roubtzoff's body of work, the majority of which are painted in oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, a technique unique to the artist that he called "canvas boards", enabling him to transport them easily and in large quantities. The collection of Dr. Éloi Baysse's descendants will be presented to the public for the first time. It has been many years since an ensemble of this importance was auctioned off. Their dispersal will enrich the knowledge and corpus of an artist recognized and acclaimed by his peers as "the Russian Orientalist painter", recently honored by the Galer

Estim. 4,000 - 6,000 EUR

Alexandre ROUBTZOFF (Saint Petersburg, 1884 - Tunis, 1949) View of Meded (1940) Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, signed and dated lower right "A. Roubtzoff. 1940. 18 sept." and localized lower left "Meded". Framed. H. 19.8 x W. 28 cm. Provenance - Gift from the artist to Dr. Éloi Baysse, colonization physician in Tunisia (appointed in 1934), also a friend and physician of the artist. - Then by descent. Expert : Maxime Charron Collection of unpublished works by Alexandre Roubtzoff from Dr. Éloi Baysse, the artist's friend and physician in Tunisia. "I only came to Tunisia for a few days, and I stayed there for the rest of my life", wrote the artist in his memoirs. Alexander Roubtzoff, born in St. Petersburg on January 24, 1884, trained in the painting department of the Imperial Academy of Arts under the tutelage of Yan Frantsevich Tsionglinsky (1858-1912), a key figure in his training since Tsionglinsky was considered one of the first Russian Impressionists and was also a great traveler and lover of exotic countries. Between 1907 and 1912, Roubtzoff travelled extensively on a scholarship, taking him to Austria, Germany, Italy and Morocco, where he was unable to establish himself permanently because of the Moroccan campaign, prompting him to travel to Tunisia and settle there in 1914. The First World War prevented him from returning to Russia, and Roubtzoff took up residence in Tunis in an apartment-studio at 33 rue Al Djazira. The October Revolution of 1917 marked a major turning point in the artist's life; he severed ties with his native country, took French nationality and presented himself as "a Frenchman born in St. Petersburg". This new horizon guided him towards plein-air painting, imbued with the warmth of the Sahara sands and the contrasts of the Atlas mountains. The magic of Tunisian light and its unique nuances, as well as street scenes and depictions of Arab life, inspired Roubtzoff throughout his life, creating over 3,000 works of great diversity. The collection of completely new works presented in this sale is of a truly exclusive nature. Whether portraits or landscapes, these paintings were hitherto unknown to reference books and historians. According to family tradition, all these works originally came from the collection of Éloi Baysse, a doctor from the Cahors region, appointed in 1934 as colonization doctor in Tunisia, which explains why all the works are dated between 1935 and 1948. In his diary, Roubtzoff wrote in 1940: "It's always Dr. Baysse who takes me around the region (...)". This previously unpublished set shows the range of subjects Roubtzoff appreciated, including two portraits of major importance: the portrait of Arbia (1941) and the portrait of Marie Madeleine Leroy (1946). The portrait of Arbia highlights the artist's talent, mainly in the meticulousness of detail, the beauty of the subject and the sincerity of expression. Roubtzoff sublimates the oriental woman, clearly breaking away from the odalisque stereotype. His Bedouin portraits reveal the nobility and beauty of a people. Every detail and every pigment serves to highlight the beauty of Arbia's face, as does the use of intense blues, vibrant pinks and reds in the fabrics that dress her. As for the portrait of Marie Madeleine Leroy, General Mast's wife, it was probably commissioned by the ambassador's wife. Excelling in worldly portraits, the painter depicts her in her official residence, dressed in European style in a verdant, exotic setting. Once again demonstrating great realism, it's possible to recognize her perfectly, as in this period photo of their arrival in Tunis (see illustration). The collection also includes a number of small-format landscapes, also emblematic of Roubtzoff's body of work, the majority of which are painted in oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, a technique unique to the artist that he called "canvas boards", enabling him to transport them easily and in large quantities. The collection of Dr. Éloi Baysse's descendants will be presented to the public for the first time. It has been many years since an ensemble of this importance was auctioned off. Their dispersal will enrich the knowledge and body of work of an artist recognized and acclaimed by his peers as "the Russian Orientalist painter", who was recently put up for auction.

Estim. 2,000 - 4,000 EUR

RARE LORGNETTE DANS SON ÉCRIN AU CHIFFRE DE L’EMPEREUR NAPOLÉON IER - 5-shot retractable gilt-brass campaign or opera spyglass, the lens trimmed with silver-plated metal forming gadroons framed by two diamond-tipped beaded friezes, unsigned. In its circular red morocco case decorated with a semiset of gilded stars, the lid hinged by a metal push-button is bordered by a frieze of stars and centered with the crowned figure of Napoleon I, cream velvet interior. First Empire period. D. 4.7 cm ; D. 2.8 cm folded and 9.6 cm unfolded. Case: H. 4 x D. 6 cm. Provenance Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. History The lorgnette, or "pocket spyglass", is a small telescope used to distinguish objects located a few dozen meters from the observer. A practical instrument for correcting failing eyesight, they also became a fashionable item in the 18th century, adorning themselves with decoration and precious materials, being supplied by both renowned opticians and goldsmiths. More elaborate than military instruments, it was above all a social accessory, indispensable in the theater or opera to observe the actors on stage. "Not only in the countryside, but also in the city, Napoleon used a pocket spyglass" (Frédéric Masson). We know that Napoleon, who was slightly short-sighted, regularly used pocket glasses or lorgnettes, as several contemporary memoirs attest. Baron Fain, the Emperor's private secretary, said of him that "his eyesight was not excellent, so he made up for it with a spectacle lorgnette that he always carried with him". Napoleon's use of his instruments in the field can be seen in the famous painting Napoleon I at the Battle of Wagram, July 6, 1809, where Horace Vernet shows him scanning his surroundings through a lorgnette. But the Emperor used his pocket glasses just as much in everyday civilian life. Historian Frédéric Masson notes several orders for lorgnettes in the accounts of the Emperor's household, with his chamberlain making several available to him to replace those that were lost or sometimes given as presents. One lorgnette and at least three small spectacles are still listed in the inventory of the Emperor's possessions in exile on St. Helena in April 1821. It seems that during the Consulate, Napoleon called on the services of British opticians, who were then at the cutting edge of precision eyewear manufacture. Under the Empire, Napoleon turned mainly to Noël-Jean Lerebours (1762-1840), the first French optician to compete with the English in this field, winning a prize at the Salon of 1806 for his telescopes and other optical instruments. In his Catalogue et prix des instruments d'optique, de physique, etc., we find, alongside field spotting scopes, models with smaller lenses for civilian use. The Lerebours company boasts that it was behind their manufacture, calling them "Lerebours telescopes". The daily care of the Emperor's optical instruments was entrusted to a man he trusted, such as his Mamluk, Roustam, who was trained for this task by Lerebours himself, author in 1805 of Instructions sur la manière de nettoyer les verres des lunettes. Optician Chevallier, a former supplier to the Court of Versailles, and goldsmith Bapst are still among Napoleon's suppliers. Related works - Pocket lorgnette, by Chevalier opticien, with case. Musée Napoléon de Fontainebleau, inv. F.2016.6, former collection of the Comte de Ségur, Floralies sale June 4, 1970, lot 289. This lorgnette has five sliding levels, with a faceted mother-of-pearl base (ill. 1). - Theater lorgnette and case with Josephine's figure, by Lerebours opticien. Château de Malmaison, inv. MM 66.1-1 and 2 (former Count Roger Walewski collection). - Small pocket spyglass or lorgnette, with box (supplied by the silversmith Bapst). Musée de l'Armée, inv. 6212-Ca25. - Napoleon cornelian pocket lorgnette (without case), by Lerebours opticien. Musée de l'Armée, inv. 851-Ca26. Given by the Emperor to Mme Pellaprat, wife of the Receiver General of Lyon (former Charles Costes collection). - Ivory spyglass engraved with Napoleon's "N", by Lerebours opticien. Musée de l'Armée, inv. n°5331-Ca206. - Lorgnette included in Napoleon's travel kit, delivered by Biennais et Lorillon in 1806. Musée du Louvre, objets d'art department, inv. OA 10359, former collection of Tsar Alexander I. - Two pocket lorgnettes for Bonaparte and Josephine from the Consulate period,

Estim. 6,000 - 8,000 EUR