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Impressionist & Modern Art
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3223 MAURICE DE VLAMINCK(Paris 1876 - 1958 Rueil-la-Gadelière)
Marine. Circa 1937/38.
Oil on canvas.
Signed lower left: Vlaminck.
65 x 81 cm.
The authenticity of the work has been
confirmed by the Wildenstein Institute,
Paris, October 2016.
Provenance:
- Collection Scherz-Meister, Bern.
- Private Collection, Bern (by descent to
the present owner).
Exhibitions:
- Geneva 1958, Exposition Vlaminck. Mu-
sée de l'Athénée, 17 July - 11 September
(with label on the reverse).
- Bern 1961, Maurice de Vlaminck. Berner
Kunstmuseum, 4 February - 3 April, no.
185 (with label on the reverse).
"Je préfère la paine à la mer, je suis plus
terrien que marin. La vue de la mer me
plonge dans une angoisse profonde. La
mer me fait peur et devant elle je me sens
faible, chétif et impuissant. Son calme
perfide et hypocrite ne me trompe pas,
il semble cacher la jalousie et la hostilité
qu’elle me témoigne" (Vlaminck, Paysage
et personnage, 1953). Although Vlaminck
was very afraid of the sea and its unpredic-
tability, he liked dealing with it as a subject
of his paintings. In fact, showing the sea in
its wild and frightening state even seems
to have provided a special allure to the
artist.
Maurice de Vlaminck is not unjustly called
the "Fauve of Fauves", being the longest
to follow the credo of the art group which
emerged in 1905 and was only very short-
lived. One can also recognise the impe-
tuous line and vitality in his later works.
He enjoyed using stormy scenes, and he
was especially excited by the erupting
sea caused by storm, as in this beautiful
example. With great skill he manages to
capture the fascinating play of light caused
by the gloomy weather.
However, the present "Marine", which was
shown at two important exhibitions in
Geneva and Bern shortly after the death
of Vlaminck, shows an ambivalent mood.
In comparison with other works, the sea
seems relatively calm. The ships appear
to have a fairly safe course. The medium-
strong waves and the gulls flying above
the scenery are in a movement which
indicates a storm that has either passed or
is still imminent. An additionally attractive
feature in this work is the light of the sun
or the moon glimmering on the horizon,
which appears to be intensifying and
lends a positive focus to the threatening
scenery.
CHF 60 000 / 90 000
(€ 55 560 / 83 330)