- 65
Marcel Jean
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 EUR
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Description
- Marcel Jean
- Le Spectateur nocturne
- signed Marcel Jean and dated 45 (lower left) ; signed Marcel Jean and titled Le spectateur nocturne (on the reverse)
- huile sur toile
- 60 x 81 cm ; 23 5/8 x 31 7/8 in.
Provenance
Sale : Sotheby's, Paris, 13th December 2007, lot 42
Private Collection, United States
Private Collection, United States
Literature
Sarane Alexandrian, Les Peintres Surréalistes, Paris, 2009, illustrated p. 210
Condition
The canvas is not lined. UV light reveals some minor retouching: a dot in the figure's hair, a small line just below the books, 3 small spots to the left hand side of the upper edge and some tiny dots in the straitjacket. Otherwise this work is in good condition.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
By the early 1930s, the Surrealists showed a keen interest in the 18th century writings of the Marquis de Sade. Representation of the human body and the anatomy appear in works of the Dada and Surrealist periods, when a number of artists turned their attention to the portrayal of the body, its objectification and humanisation. It was also a period of artistic experimentation uniting art with the literary arts and the disciplines of mathematics. Dali, Magritte and Man Ray, amongst others, were influenced by plaster casts of the revered Venus torso, which inspired her incorporation into their Surrealist composition. In Le Spectateur nocturne (The Night Spectator), arguably one of the artist’s most accomplished Surrealist paintings, Marcel Jean presents the viewer with a night scene: a female torso cast, complete with straps to be worn, is perched upon a throne of books, with her heart pierced by a fencing sword. Before her, lying inanimate on the ground is the partially dismembered body of female nude, her legs replaced by curved antique columns. On the apex of these classical forms are geometrical designs, a homage to mathematics. The grim scene also reflects sentiments as the Second World War came to an end.