Auguste Leroux – Harlequin And Columbine – Watercolor – Circa 1920 – Signed

Watercolor depicting two costumed figures.
Harlequin is seated at the feet of Columbine, who is standing. The setting, barely sketched, evokes a theater scene.

The line is lively, the silhouettes and the colors, vibrant, make all the interest of this work.

It is signed lower right, outside the scene. The work is placed under a mat and under glass, framed with a thin waxed wooden strip. The whole is in excellent condition.

The artist
Auguste Leroux, born April 14, 1871 in Paris and died in 1954, is a French painter, illustrator and decorator, recognized for the finesse of his drawing, the richness of his compositions and his attachment to classical ideals. He is part of the continuity of the French academic tradition while developing a personal style tinged with symbolism and preciousness.

Son of a cabinetmaker, Auguste Leroux showed great skill in drawing from an early age. He entered the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, where he received rigorous training from masters such as Léon Bonnat. He exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes Français, of which he became a member. At the same time, he was appointed professor at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, where he trained several generations of young artists. He was also awarded the Legion of Honor for his contribution to French culture.

Auguste Leroux's style is deeply influenced by his academic training and his admiration for the Italian Renaissance. In parallel with his work as a painter and teacher, he also created theater sets and costumes in the 1910s and 1920s. The watercolor we offer here is part of this production.

Although he lived during the emergence of the avant-garde movements (Cubism, Fauvism, Surrealism), Auguste Leroux remained faithful to a more classical and humanist vision of art. He embodies a form of elegant resistance to radical modernity, without being backward-looking: his refined and sensitive style transcends fashions.

Even today, his works are exhibited in several French museums (notably at the Musée d'Orsay) and appreciated for their timeless beauty and technical virtuosity.

Work visible at the gallery (07240)
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