Portrait Of A Child. Watercolor By Augustin Hanicotte

Painter: Augustin Hanicotte (1870-1957) was a French painter born in Pas-de-calais and died in Narbonne. He studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he frequented many artists, including Toulouse-Lautrec but above all Matisse, whose friend he would become. Together they traveled to Brittany. A traveler at heart, Hanicotte then moved to Volendam in Holland, where he met his future wife. After the First World War, he moved to the south of France, settling in Collioure where he took over Matisse's studio. He integrated very well into the village, giving lessons to the schoolchildren.

This portrait of a young child wearing a bonnet has great delicacy. The face is tilted downward with lowered eyelids. The composition is fairly uncluttered, centered on the face. The watercolor work is distinguished by its finesse: the contours are light, the color transitions subtle, and the effects of transparency lend great lightness to the whole. The pinkish touches of the face contrast harmoniously with the warm, lightly patinated background.
The painting is signed lower right and dedicated.

Presented in a carved wooden frame, with a sober passe-partout, the work retains all its charm and authenticity.

Technique : Watercolor
Dimensions : 27.5 × 22 cm with frame and 17 × 12 without frame (antique frame)
Condition : good
Period : early 20th century.