"durieux, Ventôse Watercolor"

DURIEUX, Ventôse
Watercolor over pen strokes.
Signed lower right.
Brown wooden frame.
Dimensions: H. 31 cm, W. 23 cm
Dimensions with frame: H. 33 cm, 25.5 cm

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

Ventôse depicts a pretty young woman battling violent seasonal winds, struggling to pull down the hems of her dress and preserve her modesty. Her elegant plumed hat is held in place only by a thin ribbon tied around her neck, unlike the top hat and the tavern sign already blown away by the gusts. Her wide-eyed face betrays her astonishment when her pet dog has no choice but to curl up to escape the gusts that carry away the chic finery and blond curls of our coquette in decorative convolutions and arabesques.

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 woman's attire, which rivals elegance. This mischievous young woman is portrayed in a light and bawdy mode.