María Blanchard

Maurice Crick, Belgium (acquired in 1925)
Private Collection, Belgium (acquired from the above circa 2002)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Brussels, Galerie du Centaure, Maria Blanchard, 1925, no. 17

Waldemar George, María Blanchard, 1927, pl. XI
Liliane Caffin Madaule, Catalogue raisonné des œuvres de Maria Blanchard, Spain, 1992, vol.I,  illustrated p. 284
Liliane Caffin Madaule, Catalogue raisonné des œuvres de Maria Blanchard, Spain, 1992, vol. II, illustrated p. 312
María José Salazar, María Blanchard, catálogo razonado, pintura 1889-1932, Madrid, 2004, no. 173, illustrated p. 386

The canvas is not lined and there do not appear to be any signs of retouching visible under UV light. There is frame rubbing with some associated small paint losses to all four extreme edges (most of which is not visible when framed). The canvas is slightly undulated in places and there are some fine lines of craquelure, mainly towards the edges. There is some surface dirt and this work would benefit from a clean. Otherwise, this work is in overall good condition. Colours: overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Spanish painter Maria Blanchard found immediate success in the Parisian Salon des Indépendants in 1921, a period in which she was experimenting with Cubism and colour and fascinated by the human body. She was equally interested in the goings on of the time, with a sharp eye on daily life and city streets for inspiration. A few years earlier, in 1916, Blanchard embarks in her third and final trip to Paris, befriending Rivera, Lipchitz and Gris.

Le Camelot du Roy painted in 1924-25, depicts one of the young 'Camelots', a member of the royalist organisation which was created on the 16th November 1908. This organisation was a popular and irreverent movement which sought to re-establish monarchy and attracted a range of young rebels united in the cause and wanting to attract as many youngsters under their wings. The young man is portrayed as interrupted in his coffee break, slowly tilting his head and looking out to the viewers, a coffee cup and a soda water container placed against a fiery Bordeaux table disjointedly placed at the very foreground of the picture plane. Reading the newspaper L'Action Française, the newspaper which the young Camelots would sell in the Parisian streets, the figure has a debonair appearance almost as if to invite us to his table, yet maintaining a fiercely defiant look. Typical of Blanchard's œuvre, the figure is placed in isolation, communicating with the elements and forms surrounding him, and highlighting their multi-dimensional planes.