"durieux, Vendémiaire Watercolor"

DURIEUX, Vendémiaire
Watercolor over pen strokes.
Brown wooden frame
Dimensions: H. 31 cm, W. 23.7 cm
Dimensions with frame: H. 32.5 cm, W. 25.5 cm

Our watercolor, produced in the 1920s, illustrates Vendémiaire, one of the revolutionary months (September - October).
It is signed Durieux, perhaps Joseph Durieux (1877-1954) or René Durieux (1892-1952).

At harvest time, a young woman indulges in a moment of theatrical tasting during a grape picking session. Perched on a low wall surrounded by trellises laden with ripe fruit, our model is about to savor a bunch of grapes that she holds up with her outstretched hand above her half-open mouth. Her elongated and unstable posture has the effect of further revealing her neckline and revealing the bottom of her slender legs, which end in lace-up ballet flats.

Sketched in a spirited style, this watercolor borrows from both Art Deco and Art Nouveau aesthetics. The composition is dynamic, the details abundant, and the precise drawing is just as refined as the young women's outfits, who vie with each other in elegance. This mischievous young woman is portrayed in a light and bawdy manner.