American School. Edward Mcknight Kauffer, "village Blue"
Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890–1954).
Before establishing himself as one of the leading masters of 20th-century poster art and graphic design, Edward McKnight Kauffer first trained in the fine arts. After studying at the Mark Hopkins Institute in San Francisco (United States) and then at the Art Institute of Chicago (United States), he received support from his patron Joseph McKnight—whose name he would adopt as a tribute—to further his training in Europe.
Beginning in 1913, he stayed in Munich, then moved to Paris to take classes at the Académie Moderne. It was during this study trip to the continent, between 1913 and 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I, that he traveled through Switzerland.
In Le Village bleu, Kauffer presents a rare Post-Impressionist landscape from his very earliest creative years. Heavily influenced by Paul Cézanne and the European avant-garde movements he was discovering at the time, the painter structures his composition with broad, flat areas of pastel and bluish hues. He poetically orchestrates the alpine light on the rooftops and the village bell tower, foreshadowing—through the geometric abstraction of his forms—the bold graphic style that would bring him fame in London as early as 1914.
This painting is a perfect testament to the precocious talent of a young artist on the rise, at the dawn of a major career.
Paintings from Kauffer’s European period remain particularly rare on the art market, as the bulk of his output was devoted to graphic design and poster creation.
Modern-style frame. A thin stripe can be seen on the front wall on the right. Good condition.
4,800 euros
Period: 20th century
Style: Modern Art
Condition: Good condition
Material: Oil painting on wood
Width: 18 cm
Height: 13,5 cm
Reference (ID): 1801029
Availability: In stock
