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Sofas and benches

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Mon 29 Jul

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (Budapest, 1894-New York, 1985). "Satiric dancer". Paris, 1926. Gelatin silver, later printing. Signed, titled and dated in pencil (on verso). Provenance: From the private collection of Schroeder New Jersey. Measurements: 20.6 x 25.5 cm (image); 21 x 26 cm (paper). André Kertész had a superb appreciation for the camera's ability to capture dance and people in motion. The one lying on the sofa in this photograph in a completely anti-archetypal pose is the dancer and cabaret performer Magda Förstner, whom Kertész had invited to the studio specifically for the shoot. The image was taken in the workshop of sculptor István Beöthy, as indicated by the sculptural bust next to the armchair, which serves as the model's inspiration. Kertész himself narrates the situation as, "I said to her, 'Do something in the spirit of the studio corner,' and she began to move on the couch. She just made a movement. I took only two photographs... It's wonderful to photograph people in motion. You don't need to shoot hundreds of rolls of film like you do today. It's about capturing the right moment. The moment when something transforms into something else." Photographer André Kertész was known for his innovative approaches to composition and camera angles, although his unique style initially hindered his recognition in the early stages of his career. Self-taught, his early work was published primarily in magazines, which served as an important platform during that time. After fighting in World War I, he moved to Paris, where he worked for VU, France's first illustrated magazine. He became involved with young immigrant artists and the Dada movement, winning critical acclaim and commercial success. In 1936 he emigrated to the United States where he had his solo exhibition in New York at the PM Gallery and worked briefly for the Keystone agency. There he turned down an offer to work for Vogue, feeling it was not right for him. Instead, he chose to work for Life magazine. His New York period was distinguished by his taking photographs from the window of his apartment, immortalizing moments of everyday life always under the conviction that "Everything is a subject. Every subject has a rhythm. To feel it is the raison d'être. Photography is a fixed moment of such a raison d'être, which lives in itself." In 1963, he returned to Paris and took more than 2,000 black and white photographs and nearly 500 slides that capture the essence of the city of Montmartre, the banks of the Seine, its gardens and parks.

Estim. 4 500 - 5 000 EUR

Sat 03 Aug

Benjamin GOMEZ (1885-1959) EXCEPTIONAL DIVAN in molded and carved oak and oak veneer, the bench back with three central arches flanked by a winged Assyrian divinity with bull's paw. The side pedestals open onto a front carved with stylized elements, while the other opens onto a large door to the outside; they are surmounted by a lamp with gadrooned uprights and triple cornice with paneled lampshade. Height 165 cm; Width 280 cm; Depth 79 cm This salon furniture incorporates all the decorative elements characteristic of Benjamin GOMEZ. In structure, form and use, it continues the tradition of Benjamin GOMEZ's creations. It is thus comparable to the sideboard commissioned by Jean Borotra in 1926, which we sold as lot 341 in the October 31, 2020 sale and which is now on display at the Musée Basque in Bayonne. However, the subject of the carved ornaments is quite exceptional in Benjamin GOMEZ's artistic creation: the bas-relief sculptures in fact take up the symbols of Assyrian mythology, from the kingdom of Babylon in Mesopotamia in the 8th century BC. The aesthetic of these sculptures is quite different from the work of the sculptor Lucien DANGLADE, with whom Benjamin GOMEZ used to collaborate on his furniture. What is the significance of these Assyrian figures? What is the purpose of this decorative furniture? It's very difficult to say what the decorator's intention was. First of all, we have no information on the identity of the client. According to family tradition, this set of furniture was acquired around 1938-1939 from the heirs of a deceased Basque militant of Spanish origin. The motto "Qui dit plus tard, dit jamais" ("Who says later, says never") may refer both to the ambitious character of a politician, but also to promises of independence never fulfilled for the Basque Country. Finally, Assyrian mythology is tricky to analyze, and any symbolic interpretation of the décor in the Basque context of the 1920s-1930s would be equally hazardous. The Lamassu, a figure explicitly depicted on the back of the divan, is a protective divinity against evil forces or enemies. It is often found at the entrance to buildings. She most often takes the form of a winged androcephalic bull crowned with a tiara, but other variations exist. How do these elements relate to Basque culture? Are there any links between the Basque language and Mesopotamia? The image of the cradle of mankind and the rich, remote kingdom of Mesopotamia certainly evoke an ideal of civilization, the symbolic translation of which remains uncertain. Bibliography : - Jean Idiart (dir.), Catalogue de l'exposition Louis et Benjamin Gomez architectes à Bayonne, ed. Musée Basque, Bayonne, 2009. - Isabelle Saphore, Le Style Gomez, ed. Atlantica, Biarritz, 2017.

Estim. 800 - 1 200 EUR
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