Lot 657 Rα

Rau Collection for UNICEF


According to a kind note from Yann Farinaux-Le-Sidaner the eponymous painting which is presented in the catalogue raisonné (no. 646) is identical with the present work. It was reworked by the artist - as he quite often did - and then signed at the lower right, in contrast to the first version, which was signed at the bottom left. A black and white photograph documenting the prior state of the painting was published in the catalogue raisonné. It came from the Galerie Georges Petit, where the artist was under contract during his lifetime. There are two smaller preparatory studies of the motif in oil (Farinaux-Le-Sidaner 1207, 24 x 16 cm, and 1209, 40.7 x 25.4 cm).

Charming old towns and cities and, above all, churches, are typical motifs in Le Sidaner's work. The eighteenth-century Baroque church Saint Michel in Villefranche-sur-Mer is depicted from the perspective of someone approaching by foot from the direction of the sea. This place, which was in the middle of town, must have been an oasis of calm and stillness. Here it is depicted in the warm, atmospheric light of the setting sun. The close proximity of the church, an impressive building from a past epoch, alongside the old urban architectural substance provided Le Sidaner with the inspiration for his picture. This motif was not only prepared in two small oil studies; the painting "La Rue au clair de lune" of 1926 (Farinaux-Le-Sidaner 646) and the two pictures of "La Rue de l'église" of 1936 (Farinaux-Le-Sidaner 764 and 765) also show the church Saint Michel. The title "La Rue au clair de lune" proves that Le Sidaner painted this location at different times of the day. Characteristic for his work is not only the highly nuanced, dabbed application of paint, but also the violet shadows, which establish an inspired synthesis between Symbolism and Impressionism. The image seems to be a metaphor of the artist's positive subjective feelings regarding this idyllic place.