43 - △ Gen Paul

△ Gen Paul (Paris, 1895 – Paris, 1975) Quatuor Krettly 1926 Oil on canvas Signed lower right 81 × 100 cm; with frame: 109 × 129 cm An iconic work from Gen Paul’s great Expressionist period. He depicted the dynamism of the Krettly Quartet in concert. The musicians’ hands are exaggeratedly disproportionate. Titled on the back of the stretcher In the mid-1920s, Gen Paul became enthusiastic about jazz. He met the Krettly Quartet at Georges Dorival’s home. The actor, who lived at 33 Boulevard de Clichy, enjoyed entertaining guests. He was a fervent advocate of the School of Paris; in particular, he collected paintings by Maurice Utrillo and Gen Paul, from whom he commissioned a portrait of his wife. This painting, created in 1926, is a major work by Gen Paul, who depicted his friends in a musical circle brimming with vitality. Provenance - M. Pittiglio Collection, documented in 1986 - Private collection, Paris Historique des ventes Auction in Versailles, Eric Pillon, October 25, 2009, sold for €95,000 Expositions October 28–December 31, 1986, Paris, Musée de Montmartre, “Gen Paul (1895–1975),” reproduced in the catalog without page number and dated “circa 1926” 1998–1999, Zurich, Splügenschloss, “Gen Paul, 1895–1975,” reproduced in color in the catalog on p. 113 and dated “1926” Littérature Berthe Weill, Pan in the Eye!… or Thirty Years Behind the Scenes of Contemporary Painting, 1900–1930, Paris, 2009, p. 191 (1st ed.: 1933), the gallery owner paints a portrait of him as a cheerful fellow: “The year was 1926. […] About fifty artists threw a banquet for me that was very cordial and a great success; a few art lovers were kind enough to join them. A sumptuous dinner, beautifully served by Dagorno, at La Villette. The four jazz musicians, led by Gen-Paul, arrived dressed as butchers from La Villette; this triumphant entrance delighted everyone.” André Roussard, Gen Paul: A Biography… Based on New Information, Paris, published by A. Roussard, 2006