André Lhote (1885 - 1962) — The Staircase At Gordes, 1941

The Staircase at Gordes, 1941
Oil on canvas, signed upper left.
32 x 40 cm.

Provenance:
The artist's family.

Certificate of authenticity issued by Dominique Bermann Martin.

Painting Modernity: The Vision of André Lhote

André Lhote was born in Bordeaux in 1885 into a modest family. As a young man, he joined a cabinetmaking workshop where he learned ornamental wood carving, then began taking classes at the School of Fine Arts in his hometown. In 1905, he decided to dedicate himself to painting and left the sculpture workshop, despite his parents' objections. He was introduced to the paintings of Gauguin and Cézanne, which he found to be a revelation of modernity in painting. He met Jacques Rivière (1886-1925), future director of La Nouvelle Revue Française, who became one of his close friends. From 1907, Lhote was admitted to the Salon d'Automne, which he exhibited annually. He also exhibited at the Cercle de l'Art Moderne in Le Havre from 1909, and the following year, the Galerie Druet held his first solo exhibition. Around 1912, his research, notably inspired by primitive art and Romanesque frescoes, led him to develop a new formal approach: Cubism, which he embraced in a rather personal way. He exhibited in Stockholm in 1913 and then at the Galerie Vildrac in the spring of the following year. From 1917, Lhote taught painting at the Atelier Libre on Boulevard du Montparnasse and joined the Synthetic Cubist group. Between 1918 and 1921, he also taught at the Atelier d'Études on Boulevard Raspail, the Académie Moderne on Rue Notre-Dame des Champs, and the Académie Montparnasse. At the end of the First World War, he began his activities as an art critic, notably with the Nouvelle Revue Française (the painter was part of the "Jeune Peinture Française" group), and took a stand, in his writings and lectures, on controversial issues concerning modern painting. In 1921, Lhote exhibited at the Rosenberg Gallery. In 1925, he opened the Académie André Lhote on Rue d'Odessa in the Montparnasse district, which welcomed students from all over the world, including Tamara de Lempicka and Hans Hartung. He taught there until the end of his life. Lhote discovered the village of Mirmande in the Drôme region, which he set about reviving. He established his summer academy there, attracting painters and lovers of historic buildings. For the 1937 International Exposition of Arts and Techniques, Lhote created two large panels for the Palais de la Découverte: "Gas" and "Coal Derivatives." The following year, he discovered the village of Gordes, where he bought a house. He notably hosted Chagall there during the war. After the Second World War, he settled partly in La Cadière d'Azur. He traveled to Egypt, Brazil, and elsewhere. In the 1950s, he created a large-scale decoration for the Bordeaux Faculty of Medicine, published several essays, and received the Grand Prix National des Arts. Numerous retrospectives have been dedicated to his work, including one by the Musée National d'Art Moderne. The artist died in January 1962.

Discover more of this artist's works on the gallery's website: https://www.galeriepentcheff.fr/fr/peintre-andre-lhote#Oeuvres