Star Lot: A large impressive 'Bernard Cathelin (1919-2004)' ...

Hammer

€210

Star Lot: A large impressive 'Bernard Cathelin (1919-2004)' oil on canvas painting. Features a still life botanical study of flowers in a vase. The composition is illuminated by a vibrant palette of fiery reds, rich oranges and luminous yellows, contrasted against deeper shadowed tones and a more subdued background. Bold, sweeping brushwork gives the flowers a dynamic, expressive quality, while layered applications of paint create depth and a richly textured surface. Broad gestural strokes and areas of heavier impasto accentuate the petals and foliage, capturing the energy and warmth of the floral arrangement. Signed and dated '63'. Housed in a gilt frame.
MM: 72 x 87 cm including frame

Bernard Cathelin was a French painter known for his uniquely stylized abstractions of flowers, landscapes, and figures. Utilizing thick palette knife applications and rich colors, Cathelin produces a sense of light and corporeal form in his paintings, not unlike the work of Nicolas de Staël. Many of Cathelin’s landscapes depict the area surrounding Drôme in Provence, France, where the artist’s mother was from. Born on May 20, 1919 in Paris, France, he went on to study at the Ecole National Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In 2000, Cathelin was the subject of a retrospective at the Shanghai Art Museum. His works are in the collections of the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Spencer Museum of Art, among others. He died on April 17, 2004 in Paris, France.