Showrooms

La desserte I

Creator: Georges Braque
Offered by: bernard jacobson gallery

Description
Details
Georges Braque
La desserte I
1941

Oil and sand on canvas
72.5 x 99 cms (28 1/2 x 39 ins)

Signed G Braque lower right (recto)

About
La Desserte I (1941) is an emblematic work of Braque’s wartime paintings, combining his artistic discoveries from the previous four decades with the new harsh realities of life in besieged Paris. In May 1941, when shortages began to develop and rationing was introduced in France, Braque, like most Frenchmen, was subject to rations, and the paintings he created during this period undoubtedly reflected this new lifestyle. The once lavish table-tops painted before the War were suddenly replaced by empty tables and solitary objects. However, unlike some, Braque was able to obtain certain luxuries that others could not. These included fresh fruit, vegetables and fish from Varengeville, and other basic goods from Paris.

In contrast to the lush still-lifes of the 1930s, La Desserte I yields to greater simplicity and naturalism. Nevertheless, despite the limited table spread, items such as the fresh grapes and pears denoted a sense of relative comfort when compared to Braque’s compatriots.

More evocative of these meagre times howbeit, is the use of the restricted colour palette, primarily dominated by the colour black and charcoal tones. Nearly stripped of all ornaments and decorations, the unequivocal harsh lines and use of colour highlights an underlying sense of discomfort and austerity, reflecting Braque's meditative attitude during this troubled time.

Although Braque denied ascribing symbolism to his still-life subjects, the modest arrangement of La Desserte I imparts a deeply poetic tone that transcends the humbleness of the objects themselves.

Provenance
Pierre Loeb, Paris (acquired from the artist)

Galerie Raphaël Gérard, Paris (titled Nature morte fond noir in a letter to René Gaffé dated 13 June 1953)

René Gaffé (acquired from the above) The estate of Mme. René Gaffé

Literature
Nicole S. Mangin, Catalogue de l'Oeuvres de Georges Braque: Peintures 1936-1941, Paris , 1961, p.85 (illustrated)

René Gaffé, A la verticale: Réflexions d'un collectionneur, Brussels, 1963, p.111 (illustrated)

Exhibited
Valencia, Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Georges Braque, 16 March - 7 May 2006, p. 144 (illustrated in colour)

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Period:	1920-1949
Creation Date:	1941
Styles / Movements:	Cubism
Incollect Reference #:	584456

Dimensions

W.	38.98 in;	H.	28.54 in;
W.	99 cm;	H.	72.5 cm;

Message from Seller:

Bernard Jacobson Gallery was founded in 1969, publishing and distributing prints and by the mid 1970s, having established himself as one of the major dealers in the international print boom, Jacobson began to show paintings and sculpture. The early 1980s saw the gallery open branches in Los Angeles and New York, expanding the range of international artists. From 1997, the gallery moved more firmly into American and international art.