I was well received at Hammer Galleries from New York, who had a very nice portrait of Louise Riesner, made by my favorite impressionist painter Berthe MORISOT in 1881. Berthe was one of the very few female impressionist painters. Her paintings make me think of spring: new life, delicacy and harmony. Her works are full of luminous light and complex in its colours. Her feminine touch is what I like in her paintings and what I often miss in impressionist paintings...
When you see a good painting of Berthe Morisot, you see speed and precision in her brush strokes and love for the subject. Most of her paintings that I know are pictures of people in landscapes or portraits of girls and young mothers with child. Her paintings are delicate and full of life. She was a great admirer of Eduard Manet. In 1874, she married his brother Eugene...
As an example, I show you hereunder one of my favorite paintings of Berthe Morisot, "Jeune Femme près d'une Fenêtre", also called "L'Eté" (summer) that she painted in 1880. It belongs to Musee Fabre in Montpellier, France. It was the most striking work I discovered during the 2002 exhibition about Berthe Morisot at Fondation Gianadda, Martigny, Switzerland.
Hammer Galleries exhibited a fine collection of paintings from A. Modigliani, P.A Renoir, E.L Boudin and J-B. C. Corot amongst others!
Also Hopkins-Custot Gallery from London had a painting of Berthe Morisot for sale.
I expect these differences to fade out over time.
I was also impressed by the top quality works of Landau Fine Art Inc., Canada, who exhibited works from P. Picasso, H. Matisse, H. Moore and A. Giacometti, amongst others. What a fine collection!
Thomas Gibson Fine Art from London showed works from M. Rothko, H. Matisse, P. Picasso, A Modigliani and A. Giacometti, amongst others. Below a painting from A. Giacometti.
Gallerie Patrice Trigano, Paris had a fine drawing of H. Matisse titled "Femme accoudée à une table" (grafitte on paper signed 1940). Provenance from the artist's family. I took a picture for private use only, so I cannot share it with you...
I was very much impressed by very elegant stand of L'arc en Seine, Paris, who specializes in 20th century decorative art. The stand offered fine French Art Deco chairs, a forged table and lamps from D. Giacometti and a very fine writing table with bronze feet and a travertin top from Max Ingrand, made in 1960 (reported to have fetched euro 220 000), amongst others...
Following my tour I found a fine work of Kees van Dongen at Gallerie Boulakia, Paris, titled "Fille-mère". The work as shown below was painted by van Dongen in 1907-1908.
Lastly, I was greatly impressed by the stand of Odermatt & Vedovi, Paris-Brussels, which had a generous & high quality collection of 20 th century art from A.Calder, M. Rothko, P. Picasso, j. Arp, A. Giacometti and Lucio Fontana, amongst others. Below you will see a picture of their dramatic stand.
Concluding, this was a selection of what was on view this year. Certainly, this overview is limited and merely a selection. And contemporary art? Yes there was, but I suppose my blood streams faster looking at works from the 20th century up until the 70's...
A pig cut into two parts and put on formaldehyde and displayed in a moving machine, like some artists do, is this art or is it just a form of displaced provocation or cry for originality (what else did not we do yet?)? Would I be ready to spend the requested price of euro 12 Million for this, as reported, or rather spend them on art from artists who have fought their lives to grow and surpass themselves rather than coming up with some 'original' idea's for the investor?
But, in the end, it is for you to decide what thrills you.
