20th/21st Century Art

April 2328, 2022
Auction begins to close at 2:00 pm ET

Online Auction
LOT 19

Lot 19

Michel Ciry (1919-2018)

Michel Ciry (1919-2018)
Lot 19 Details
Michel Ciry (1919-2018), French

L'EPAVE, 1959

Oil on canvas; signed and dated /59 lower right, signed, titled and dated /59 in black crayon to the stretcher, titled to gallery label verso.
51 ins x 38 ins; 129.5 cms x 96.5 cms

Estimate $800-$1,200

Realised: $2,400
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
Michel Ciry (1919-2018)
  • Michel Ciry (1919-2018)
  • Michel Ciry (1919-2018)
  • Michel Ciry (1919-2018)
  • Michel Ciry (1919-2018)
Provenance:

With Arthur Lenars & Cie., Paris, France label verso;
Galerie Dresdnere, Montreal gallery, Inventory No. 669 gallery label verso;
Private Collection, Toronto

Note:

Michel Ciry was a multi-talented French artist. He was a master of the etching medium. He also designed postage stamps and illustrated literary classics by authors ranging from Emily Bronte to Franz Kafka. Ciry was a composer of six symphonies and a soloist. He published 36 volumes of memoirs that he had begun writing in 1942. First published in 1971, his memoirs, recorded by dated entries, made no secret that he would rather have lived in the 17th century than in an age of decline “when the lie is sacred and counterfeiting is legalized.”

Ciry was a devout Christian whose art was largely devoted to sacred themes. He chose to remain celibate, living in self-imposed exile from the Paris art scene for over fifty years on the sea coast of Normandy in Varengeville-sur-Mer. Ciry has been described as an “artist of solitude.” His figurative studies are testimony to the solitary life he lived. They are like lone actors on a stage empty of all but essential props; similarly, his landscapes are barren. There is no one present in the mist of “Fog in New York, Central Park.””

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 19
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.