Maurice Utrillo (French, 1883-1955). L'eglise, circa 1938. Oil on canvas. 25-3/4 x 21-1/4 inches (65.4 x 54.0 cm). Signe...

Description

Maurice Utrillo (French, 1883-1955)
L'eglise, circa 1938
Oil on canvas
25-3/4 x 21-1/4 inches (65.4 x 54.0 cm)
Signed lower right: Maurice Utrillo, V

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Switzerland;
Max Müller, Switzerland, acquired from the above, 1930s;
Thence by descent to the present owner, 1973.

The Comité Utrillo-Valadon has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work, which will be included in the next volume of the Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre complet de Maurice Utrillo.

During the middle decades of the twentieth century, this vibrant late work by Post-Impressionist Maurice Utrillo formed part of the collection of contemporary European paintings assembled by Max Müller, a German-born Dutch citizen who made his fortune exporting the health tonic Sanatogen to Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Far East. On his travels, Müller routinely frequented galleries, investing in works by both emerging and established artists. Othon Coubine's Bouquet of lilacs in a vase in the present sale is also from his collection (see lot 69006).

Utrillo's distinctive, self-taught style-with its strong outlines, simplified flattened forms, and emphasis on church and street views-is as famous as his tortured biography. The son of Suzanne Valadon, an artist's model who evolved into a painter of remarkable force, Utrillo struggled most of his life with alcoholism, depression, and mental illness. Although initially disinclined towards artistic expression, Utrillo was encouraged to paint by his mother as "art therapy" during his turbulent late teens, an approach that greatly helped his mindset. He rechanneled his turmoil into painting with an extraordinary intensity of focus, which in turn enabled him to find periods of emotional balance.

Projecting his style onto the world around him, he virtually created his own genre; bold, richly textured scenes of his rustic hometown of Montmartre, where simple figures strolled along the narrow, winding streets. His art went through a distinct evolution from the darker grittier early works of Montmartre nightclubs, seedy bars, and small wooden houses to his now-famous "White Period" which made his reputation during World War I. These paintings possess a white tonality derived from the mixture of plaster and sand into the oil paint, and are characterized by an eerie emptiness-streets with no people. His third "style" is one of brighter colors, sunny blue skies with people milling about, which reflects the influence of Impressionism.

The present work belongs to this last category of Utrillo's art, but with the richer depth of color and strong black contours characteristic of his later works. In 1936 he had married Lucie Pauwels and settled into a more orderly bourgeois existence at Vésinet, one of the more affluent suburbs of western Paris. He would make visits to the country to paint provincial churches such as this one. However, from 1937 on, Utrillo was looked after by his friend and dealer Paul Pétridès, owing to struggles with his mental and physical health. Nonetheless, he kept painting and produced works with a deep vein of poetic melancholy that are now cherished by collectors. To honor his mother Suzanne Valadon's unwavering love and support of him, Utrillo took to signing his works with his name, together with a V.


More information about Maurice Utrillo. See also: Utrillo, Maurice Artist.

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