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Louis le Brocquy
PRESENCE
Lot 41
Result:
Not Sold
Estimate:
€30,000 - €50,000
Louis le Brocquy HRHA, 1916-2012
PRESENCE, 1956
Oil on canvas, 29 1/4" x 23 1/2" (75.6 x 59.7cm), signed.
Provenance: Private Collection; Sothebys, Paris, Nov. 2022
Le Brocquy's lifelong preoccupation with both the human head and torso nev... Read more
Lot 41
Louis le Brocquy
PRESENCE
DVTV Click Here To View VideoPRESENCE, 1956
Oil on canvas, 29 1/4" x 23 1/2" (75.6 x 59.7cm), signed.
Provenance: Private Collection; Sothebys, Paris, Nov. 2022
Le Brocquy's lifelong preoccupation with both the human head and torso nev... Read more
Lot 41
Louis le Brocquy
PRESENCE
Estimate:
€30,000 - €50,000
Louis le Brocquy HRHA, 1916-2012
PRESENCE, 1956
Oil on canvas, 29 1/4" x 23 1/2" (75.6 x 59.7cm), signed.
Provenance: Private Collection; Sothebys, Paris, Nov. 2022
Le Brocquy's lifelong preoccupation with both the human head and torso never had much to do with physical description. On the contrary, he strove to break down physicality, to push the deconstruction of the human form to its limits. This painting is particularly important because, painted c.1955-56, it marked the beginning of a new phase in his work, moving from the more figurative grey period to a more abstract style that evoked a more general sense of human presence. Over the following decade le Brocquy developed this idea of a 'presence', the essence of 'being' that hovers below the surface. He returned to explore this motif again and again over the following decades so that it has come to define his work.
The poet John Montague gave us insight into this period when he wrote: "Something happened to le Brocquy in the mid-fifties, a new feeling for painting, a draining away of formal inessentials".? Montague suggests that a similar painting from around this time was inspired by Gustav Mahler 's Songs of a Wayfarer, about a heartbroken lover wandering through summer fields. This provides a viable context for Presence, where we glimpse a figure, possibly reclining in a field, with colour and definition lost in the intensity of outdoor light. In any event, a literal interpretation isn't what le Brocquy is about. He asks us to strip away the 'seen' world so that we might get glimpses of what it means to be alive. Along with post-war Irish contemporaries like Tony O'Malley and Patrick Collins, le Brocquy tempts the poetic imagination of the viewer, suggesting and hinting rather than describing.
Presence has an ebullient feel, reinforced by the rhythmic repetition of vertical botanic elements? that have a feathery lightness and an appealing transparency. ?A sense of human energy radiates from the core outwards, engaging and animating the whole space.
Dr Frances Ruane. HRHA,? May 2023.
Many thanks to Pierre le Brocquy for assistance with cataloguing this work.
PRESENCE, 1956
Oil on canvas, 29 1/4" x 23 1/2" (75.6 x 59.7cm), signed.
Provenance: Private Collection; Sothebys, Paris, Nov. 2022
Le Brocquy's lifelong preoccupation with both the human head and torso never had much to do with physical description. On the contrary, he strove to break down physicality, to push the deconstruction of the human form to its limits. This painting is particularly important because, painted c.1955-56, it marked the beginning of a new phase in his work, moving from the more figurative grey period to a more abstract style that evoked a more general sense of human presence. Over the following decade le Brocquy developed this idea of a 'presence', the essence of 'being' that hovers below the surface. He returned to explore this motif again and again over the following decades so that it has come to define his work.
The poet John Montague gave us insight into this period when he wrote: "Something happened to le Brocquy in the mid-fifties, a new feeling for painting, a draining away of formal inessentials".? Montague suggests that a similar painting from around this time was inspired by Gustav Mahler 's Songs of a Wayfarer, about a heartbroken lover wandering through summer fields. This provides a viable context for Presence, where we glimpse a figure, possibly reclining in a field, with colour and definition lost in the intensity of outdoor light. In any event, a literal interpretation isn't what le Brocquy is about. He asks us to strip away the 'seen' world so that we might get glimpses of what it means to be alive. Along with post-war Irish contemporaries like Tony O'Malley and Patrick Collins, le Brocquy tempts the poetic imagination of the viewer, suggesting and hinting rather than describing.
Presence has an ebullient feel, reinforced by the rhythmic repetition of vertical botanic elements? that have a feathery lightness and an appealing transparency. ?A sense of human energy radiates from the core outwards, engaging and animating the whole space.
Dr Frances Ruane. HRHA,? May 2023.
Many thanks to Pierre le Brocquy for assistance with cataloguing this work.
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In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
PLEASE BID EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.
In order to allow rival bidders the opportunity to respond to a late bid the following extensions will apply:
IF A BID IS RECEIVED WITHIN THE FINAL 45 SECONDS OF THE COUNTDOWN THE CLOCK WILL RESET TO 60 SECONDS.
At any point you can leave a maximum bid, representing the highest price you are prepared to pay for a particular lot. Bidding only advances when there is competition from a rival bidder. In that case the system bids on your behalf, only up to the maximum if required. All bids are relayed to you be email, along with notification if you have been outbid.
All maximum bids are confidential and not disclosed. The system will endeavor to purchase the lot for you for the least price. Bids are subject to buyer’s premium of 25% (incl vat), with no additional charges.
In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
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