229 - GEORGES HENRI MANZANA-PISSARRO (1871–1961)

GEORGES HENRI MANZANA-PISSARRO (1871–1961) "Gauguin at His Exhibition at Durand-Ruel, Rue Lafitte, Paris" Pencil, ink, and watercolor on paper Titled at the top: “Gauguin at his Exhibition at Durand-Ruel, Rue Lafitte, Paris” and signed lower right: Manzana-Pissarro Dimensions: 27 x 20.5 cm A caricature of Paul Gauguin, depicted full-length in extravagant attire, posing confidently in front of several of his paintings hung on the wall of the Durand-Ruel gallery, among which one can recognize Tahitian figures evoking his Polynesian compositions. The drawing, executed with verve in a narrative and satirical style and enhanced with watercolor, reflects Manzana-Pissarro’s amused view of his contemporary and of the Parisian art scene of the late 19th century. Provenance: Félix Pissaro, Menton, and the private collection of Jean Eugène Guillaud, Monaco Reference: The catalog for the 1973 “Manzana Pissaro” exhibition at the Galerie Dario Boccara features two figures rendered in the same spirit and with a similar pose, pp. 96 and 97. This work of historical interest serves as a valuable and documentary record of Paul Gauguin’s exhibitions at Durand-Ruel, a gallery that would play a central role in promoting the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. The perspective of Manzana-Pissarro—son of Camille Pissarro and thus a firsthand witness to the Impressionist milieu—lends this drawing value as both a historical document and a work of art.