.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This work is registred at the Archives Antoni Clavé under no. 46 HT 36.
Musiciens, painted in 1946, perfectly captures the poetic, even Surreal, vision of the Spanish artist Clavé. In the formality of the figures and the composition of this painting, Clavé conjures a lyrical atmosphere of theatricality that the viewer associates not merely with the scene at hand, but indeed with life itself. It is therefore no coincidence to find that from 1946 onwards, Clavé found himself frequently commissioned to assist in the design aspects of many theatrical projects, helping create sets and costumes alike. An interest in costume was likewise apparent in his paintings before these projects were commissioned. For several years, harlequins, clowns and musicians had haunted his paintings, and now they appeared in increasingly formal manner, which would reach its apogee in the mannequin-esque figures that people his 1950s paintings in particular. Already, the bodies appear somehow insubstantial compared to the modeled heads, hints of the Bellmer-like bodies of his later work already apparent.
In Musiciens, even the harlequin appears contemplative. There is little trace of the commedia dell'arte or carnival here, but instead a deep air of reflection. In this painting, Clavé has taken a subject matter reminiscent of his beloved Old Masters, especially Velazquez, and has filled it with a modern yet timeless sense of the arcane.
The magical atmosphere in Musiciens is enhanced by the artist's deft use of colour, the blue tones dominating most of the work disrupted by the riotous orange of the fruit at the centre of the painting. These appear almost fire-like in their contrast with the evening shade of the rest of the painting, a sensual feast for the eyes that affirms Clavé's unique sensitivity to the mystery of the scene. By contrast with the static formality of the scene depicted in Musiciens, Clavé's brushwork reveals the artist's own energy in creating this painting. The brushstrokes are gestural and, in places, even frenzied, blending his long-term interest in Soutine's painting with a keen awareness of current trends. Bridging the gap between modernity and the timeless, Clavé has created a painting that is filled, appropriately, with an absorbing and entrancing musicality.
Musiciens, painted in 1946, perfectly captures the poetic, even Surreal, vision of the Spanish artist Clavé. In the formality of the figures and the composition of this painting, Clavé conjures a lyrical atmosphere of theatricality that the viewer associates not merely with the scene at hand, but indeed with life itself. It is therefore no coincidence to find that from 1946 onwards, Clavé found himself frequently commissioned to assist in the design aspects of many theatrical projects, helping create sets and costumes alike. An interest in costume was likewise apparent in his paintings before these projects were commissioned. For several years, harlequins, clowns and musicians had haunted his paintings, and now they appeared in increasingly formal manner, which would reach its apogee in the mannequin-esque figures that people his 1950s paintings in particular. Already, the bodies appear somehow insubstantial compared to the modeled heads, hints of the Bellmer-like bodies of his later work already apparent.
In Musiciens, even the harlequin appears contemplative. There is little trace of the commedia dell'arte or carnival here, but instead a deep air of reflection. In this painting, Clavé has taken a subject matter reminiscent of his beloved Old Masters, especially Velazquez, and has filled it with a modern yet timeless sense of the arcane.
The magical atmosphere in Musiciens is enhanced by the artist's deft use of colour, the blue tones dominating most of the work disrupted by the riotous orange of the fruit at the centre of the painting. These appear almost fire-like in their contrast with the evening shade of the rest of the painting, a sensual feast for the eyes that affirms Clavé's unique sensitivity to the mystery of the scene. By contrast with the static formality of the scene depicted in Musiciens, Clavé's brushwork reveals the artist's own energy in creating this painting. The brushstrokes are gestural and, in places, even frenzied, blending his long-term interest in Soutine's painting with a keen awareness of current trends. Bridging the gap between modernity and the timeless, Clavé has created a painting that is filled, appropriately, with an absorbing and entrancing musicality.