"Sunset, Topeka, Kansas"

Watercolor and gouache on archival paper by French artist, Henri Grenier. Signed lower right. Circa 1925. Condition is excellent. The artwork is housed in its original ornate carved wood and gesso frame in an off white wash. Overall framed measurements are 29 by 37.5 inches. Provenance: A California collector.

French Fauvist painter Henri Grenier (1882 - 1940), beautifully captures the energy of the turn-of-the-century Grand Boulevard in this colorful and whimsical watercolor and gouache on paper. Grenier developed a colorful, decorative style that became fashionable for designs of ceramics and textile as well as decorative schemes for public buildings. He is well known for his scenes of open air social events. Grenier was inspired by his fellow Fauvists, Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy. The bustling subject matter of this painting is Paris; specifically one of the grand boulevards leading to the Arc de Triomphe as seen in the background. As in Grenier's painting, the Grand Boulevard is a romantic, fashionable street filled with strollers, horse drawn carriages and cafes.