Jean RUSTIN (1928-2013) Study for Old Lovers, 1984 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower left, titled on reverse 41 x 27 cm Condition report available on request: [email protected] PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist NOTICE After studying during the Second World War, he moved to Paris in 1947, enrolled at the Beaux-Arts and attended Nicolas Untersteller's studio. Early in his career, Jean Rustin adopted a figurative style, with a preference for watercolor. From 1947, he moved towards lyrical abstraction, influenced by action painting. In 1971, a retrospective of 150 of his works was held in Paris. Jean Rustin then found his painting too "pretty" and "decorative", and reoriented himself towards figuration, focusing his work on the human figure. In 1980, an exhibition in Paris marked the beginning of this new period, which was hailed by critics for its universe. In 1992, the Rustin Foundation was created in Antwerp and Edward Lucie-Smith published a monograph on his work. In 2001 and 2004, retrospectives were organized in France, and in 2005, the Frissiras Museum in Athens paid tribute to his work.