Transmission Van Gogh assis, vu de dos Discovery of the original print. Uploaded at 3.15 pm 11 th May 2015

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Transmission Van Gogh assis, vu de dos Discovery of the original print. Uploaded at 3.15 pm 11 th May 2015"

Paul O’Neal’
6 years ago
Views:

Furthermore, Van Gogh hated the medium of photography and he never wanted to be in the photo. Of the three photos which have surfaced, two from his childhood.

1 Furthermore, Van Gogh hated the medium of photography and he never wanted to be in the photo. Of the three photos which have surfaced, two from his childhood. Only one photo shows a mature Van Gogh, in the company of Émile Bernard, but only his back when he is sitting on the embarkment*. (Het Parool, article, ). Bovendien had Van Gogh een hekel aan het medium fotografie en wilde hij nooit op de foto. Van de drie foto's die in het verleden van hem zijn opgedoken waren er twee uit zijn kindertijd. Slechts één foto toont een volwassen Van Gogh, in het gezelschap van Émile Bernard. Maar daarop zijn slechts de ruggen van de mannen te zien, terwijl ze aan het water zitten (Het Parool quoting Van Gogh Museum Foto-expert, ). Transmission Van Gogh assis, vu de dos Discovery of the original print *Van Gogh assis, vu de dos. Connue des chercheurs car exposée à Amsterdam en 1990, ce cliché dont l unique épreuve d époque vient d être retrouvée, montre Van Gogh vu de dos en conversation avec Émile Bernard (Cf. Sa seule photo (ou presque), Blog du journal Le Monde). Contents of Transmission : The Shoulders of Van Gogh Van Gogh in Conversation with Bernard, 2 Émile Bernard s specific handwriting, 4 Van Gogh in conversation with Fénéon, 5 Bridges of Asnières, 6 Romantic Agony Summer Auction, 8 Two covers you have missed Uploaded at 3.15 pm 11 th May 2015

/ France studios@robespierre.fr Phone (10am-5 pm) : (+33) 1.43.60.71.71 Correspondence in English, French, Dutch, Russian, Italian, Spanish, German, Turkish.

2 Number Eighteen of the weekly transmission has been uploaded on Monday, 11 th May at 15:15 (Paris time). Upcoming uploads and transmissions : Monday 18 h May Monday 25 th May, Monday 1 st June, Monday 8 th June Serge Plantureux / Rhinocéros & Cie Studios Robespierre / 71 rue Robespierre Montreuil / France studios@robespierre.fr Phone (10am-5 pm) : (+33) Correspondence in English, French, Dutch, Russian, Italian, Spanish, German, Turkish. All updates are available on our site: Discovery of the original print : : Vincent Van Gogh assis, vu de dos This lot is part of Romantic Agony Summer auction (June 19 th & 20 th ) Daguerreotypes, calotypes, autochromes, documentary photography, Public auction in Brussels on the 19 th June at 2 p.m. PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS In Paris, 5, rue du Perche, near the Picasso Museum From the 03/06/2015 to the 08/06/ am to 6pm In Brussels, 40 rue de l Aqueduc, near the Horta museum From 12/06/2015 to 19/06/ am to 6 pm The auction will be also online with Drouot live

"Van Gogh assis, vu de dos Asnières, winter 1886-1887 Aristotype, 132x160 mm, later mount, caption in ink by Bernard on the print, another handwriting on the

Clin, a collector of Émile Bernard s paintings and memorabilia, who lent this unique print to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam for the Émile Bernard exhibition,

3 "Van Gogh assis, vu de dos Asnières, winter Aristotype, 132x160 mm, later mount, caption in ink by Bernard on the print, another handwriting on the folded mount. Provenance : S. Clin, a collector of Émile Bernard s paintings and memorabilia, who lent this unique print to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam for the Émile Bernard exhibition, August-Nov ? Nevertheless, most photographic and digital copies still reproduce a post-1940 s version, printed from an inter-negative, the caption being partially hidden by a blank label. The first confirmed publication was in: Tralbaut, Van Gogh le mal aimé, Lausanne, 1969, page

This aristotype, or collodion coated paper print, is the only vintage print known of the famous picture welcoming visitors at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

4 This aristotype, or collodion coated paper print, is the only vintage print known of the famous picture welcoming visitors at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Sitting in front of Vincent Van Gogh, Émile Bernard who wrote mon portrait en 1886 (My Portrait in 1886). Only few objective elements can confirm the identification, the grey felt hat, the shoulders (see Pissarro, p.5). Émile Bernard is said to have only few friends. The tree has no leaves, the weather could be cold. The date in the long second caption says In the Van Gogh correspondence, mentions of Asnières start only in Who could have taken the picture? Paul Signac is knwn as a friend of both but no evidence of any photographic activity about 1887 could be found. 2

ÉMILE BERNARD (1868-1941) Handwriting examples Comparison with the dedication to Émile Schuffenecker on a photographic reproduction

Although there wasn t a broad interest for graphology in the 1880 s, it is worth mentioning that the separation of letters inside

promoter of an artistic movement called Synthétisme.

5 ÉMILE BERNARD ( ) Handwriting examples Comparison with the dedication to Émile Schuffenecker on a photographic reproduction of a Vincent Van Gogh Portrait, Émile Bernard s handwriting is very peculiar, indeed, as any single letter is dissociated. Although there wasn t a broad interest for graphology in the 1880 s, it is worth mentioning that the separation of letters inside words is generally associated by graphologists with a lack of synthetic thinking, which is ironic for an artist considered a promoter of an artistic movement called Synthétisme. Examples of Bernard s writing are not so common, for example all the letters from Émile Bernard to Van Gogh have to be considered lost. There must have been a few dozen of them (Van Gogh Correspondence, Van Gogh Museum). 3

The caption on folded margin Translation of the French text : [Émile Bernard in conversation with Vincent Van Gogh on the

In 1887 both made a painting titled "Le Pont d Asnières", bridge which can be seen in the background of this photograph.

toile intitulée Le Pont d Asnières que l on aperçoit dans le fond de cette photographie.

6 The caption on folded margin Translation of the French text : [Émile Bernard in conversation with Vincent Van Gogh on the Seine s banks at Asnières. In 1887 both made a painting titled "Le Pont d Asnières", bridge which can be seen in the background of this photograph.] Émile Bernard en conversation avec Vincent Van-Gogh -sur les quais de la Seine à Asnières En 1887 tous deux firent une toile intitulée Le Pont d Asnières que l on aperçoit dans le fond de cette photographie. In this second caption, observing the handwriting, all single letters are dissociated from one another again, but look different from Bernard s letters, for example in Asnières. The angle of the writing is quite different too. a s n i è r e s A s n i è r e s 4

7 Lucien Pissaro Vincent Van Gogh in conversation with Félix Fénéon Paris, winter 1887/1888 Black crayon on paper (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum). An interesting description is given by Paul Signac when he commented on meeting up with Van Gogh in 1887 in Asnières: "I would encounter him at Asnières and at Saint-Ouen. We painted together on the riverbanks, we lunched at roadside cafes and we returned by foot to Paris via the Avenues of Saint- Ouen and Clichy. Van Gogh, wearing the blue overalls of a zinc worker, would have little dots of colour painted on his shirtsleeves. Striking quite close to me, he would be yelling, gesticulating and brandishing a large size-thirty, freshly painted canvas; in this fashion he would manage to polychrome both himself and the passers-by. 5

ÉMILE BERNARD (1868-1941) Self-portrait with portrait of Paul Gauguin Oil on canvas (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Émile often crosses Vincent s path at Père Tanguy s shop (Julien Tanguy, 1825-1894) and

Bernard wrote the posthumous portrait of Vincent Van Gogh for the art magazine La Plume, Sept.

; such was van Gogh, always with his pipe, a canvas or an engraving, or a sketch.

8 ÉMILE BERNARD ( ) Self-portrait with portrait of Paul Gauguin Oil on canvas (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Émile often crosses Vincent s path at Père Tanguy s shop (Julien Tanguy, ) and they regularly go for walks from Montmartre to Asnières, then an enjoyable resort where his parents had a house. Émile is the real great friend, the fellow of Vincent in the year Bernard wrote the posthumous portrait of Vincent Van Gogh for the art magazine La Plume, Sept. 1891: "Red-heated (goatee, rough mustache, shaven scalp) with an eagle look and an incisive mouth, so to speak; of average height, stocky but not excessively so, with quick gestures and a gerky gait ; such was van Gogh, always with his pipe, a canvas or an engraving, or a sketch. Vehement in speech, interminable in explaining and developing ideas, not given to controversy, that was him too ; and dreams, oh! dreams! Gigantic exhibitions, artist's philanthropic phalansteries, founding of colonies in the South, progressive invasion of the public for that reeducation of the masses who yet had known art in the past..." Bernard painted this portrait at Vincent request, who, in emulation of Japanese artists, wished to exchange works. Van Gogh was delighted with it, describing it as a few simple tones, a few dark lines, but [...] as elegant as a true, genuine Manet (Van Gogh Museum s notice). 6

9 VINCENT VAN GOGH Bridges at Asnières Summer 1887 Foundation E.G. Bührle, Zurich Bridge of Asnières Summer 1887 Private Collection ÉMILE BERNARD Le Pont d Asnières Summer 1887 PAUL SIGNAC Les Ponts d Asnières Summer

10 Save the auction date : 19 and 20 June, Brussels PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS In Paris : 5, rue du Perche, near the Picasso Museum 03/06/2015 to 08/06/ am to 6 pm In Brussels : 40, rue de l Aqueduc, near the Horta museum 12/06/2015 to 19/06/ am to 6 pm INQUIRIES : Belgium : auction@romanticagony.com France : studios@robespierre.fr catalogue online as of May 18 th 8

11 The covers you have missed The covers you have missed Transmission Transmission The Shoulders of Van Gogh The Shoulders of Van Gogh Uploaded at 3.15 pm Monday 11 th May 2015 Studios Robespierre Uploaded at 3.15 pm Monday 11 th May 2015 Studios Robespierre

Artful Adventures. France. 19th. Century. An interactive guide for families 56. Your French Adventure Awaits You! See inside for details

Artful Adventures. France. 19th. Century. An interactive guide for families 56. Your French Adventure Awaits You! See inside for details Artful Adventures France 19th Century An interactive guide for families 56 Your French Adventure Awaits You! See inside for details 19thFrance Century Today we are going to travel to France, a country