Léon Spilliaert
La peur du gendarme, 1919
crayon, watercolor and gouache on paper
24 x 34 cm
9 1/2 x 13 3/8 in
9 1/2 x 13 3/8 in
In Spilliaert's oeuvre, the dark works are often the most sought after, but one of the most complete series is a small number of works that he made in 1910...
In Spilliaert's oeuvre, the dark works are often the most sought after, but one of the most complete series is a small number of works that he made in 1910 around the bather with the use of arabesque patterns in the water and under the influence of Japonisme and Les Nabis .
The work on the cover of the RA exhibition is one of them, but also from the Brussels museum, which was also on the cover of the retrospective in 2007.
In Peur du gendarme the use of patterns is also reflected - areas of color - you feel the texture of the walls, the tiles, the wooden door - like in the Japanese woodblock prints. The structure of the work consists of geometric surfaces, which is reflected in Spilliaert's best works.
It is an atypical subject for Spilliaert, but in terms of technique it can be linked to his best works. Spilliaert at his best as a draftsman.
The work on the cover of the RA exhibition is one of them, but also from the Brussels museum, which was also on the cover of the retrospective in 2007.
In Peur du gendarme the use of patterns is also reflected - areas of color - you feel the texture of the walls, the tiles, the wooden door - like in the Japanese woodblock prints. The structure of the work consists of geometric surfaces, which is reflected in Spilliaert's best works.
It is an atypical subject for Spilliaert, but in terms of technique it can be linked to his best works. Spilliaert at his best as a draftsman.