Canadian Fine Art

November 18, 2019

LOT 100

Lot 100

JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, R.C.A.

JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, R.C.A.
Lot 100 Details
JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, R.C.A.

SANS TITRE, C.1965

oil on canvas
signed
23.5 ins x 36.25 ins; 59.7 cms x 92.1 cms

Estimate $150,000-$250,000

Realised: $144,000
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, R.C.A.
  • JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, R.C.A.
  • JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE, R.C.A.
Provenance:

By descent to Private Collection, Ontario

Note:

This work is included as an addendum in Jean Paul Riopelle: catalogue raisonné by Yseult Riopelle., cat. #1966.068H. A certificate of authenticity also accompanies this lot.

Sans Titre is representative of Riopelle’s mastery of the palette knife technique in the 1960s, when this piece was produced. At the time, Riopelle was moving away from the large, densely painted canvases characteristic of his work in the 1950s, favouring smaller, more open compositions. We are able to enjoy the deliberate spaciousness and freer configuration of these later gestures in comparison to the mosaic works from the 1950s. Where earlier works were characterized by a diffuse all-over approach, here the composition is more controlled, the distinction between ground and figure made more apparent.
 
The essence of the work is contained in the central organization of the canvas. Warm purple tones and yellow-greens cut through with overlapping branches of icy whites and crackling blue-blacks. Darker colours impede from the corners of the work, bounding and containing the center: heavy violets and earthy forest greens on the right, with knife-edge black cuts through a daubed harlequin haze on the left. Bursts of red erupt from the upper corner and smoulder through the foreground, upheaving the central mass of colour with dramatic, almost sculptural movement. This effect is heightened by the use of gloss varnish, mixed in with the paint, creating a play of matte and shine across the surface of the work.
 
Sans Titre was produced at a time when Riopelle was solidifying his reputation outside Canada as an important voice in modern abstract painting. He represented Canada at the Venice Biennale in 1962, was offered the first solo exhibition by Pierre Mattise in New York, and was included at an exhibition of Canadian artists at the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais in Paris in 1968. He received a retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada in 1963, and at the Musée du Québec in 1967.
 
Waddington’s is proud to provide this timely offering following a recent announcement by the newly formed Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation in their commitment to further national and international awareness about the Artist in advance of his centenary, in 2023.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 100
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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.