166 - Robert Mendoze (1930–2014)

Robert Mendoze (1930–2014) Boulevard de Strasbourg in Toulon, 1969 Pencil (graphite) Hand-annotated, labeled with location and date in the lower left: “Bd de Strasbourg in Toulon, July 14, 69”; inscribed in the lower right: “For Yves Guérin, with best regards,” signed “R. Mendoze” Dimensions: Sheet 29.7 × 21 cm (11 ⅝ × 8 ¼ in.) — Image: nearly full sheet Condition: good condition, one restored tear in the upper right corner, unframed Provenance: Yves Guérin’s guestbook, compiled between 1963 and 1992 (provenance from a single source). Mendoze belonged to the collector’s Mediterranean artistic circle, having won the Prix de la Jeune Peinture Méditerranéenne in Nice (1958) and the Rotary Prize in Menton (1955). Description: A lively view of Boulevard de Strasbourg in Toulon on July 14—tall buildings, plane trees, market stalls and awnings, a streetlamp, the crowd, and cars—drawn in graphite with a free, impressionistic touch. Robert Mendoze was a figurative painter born in Toulon, a student of Eugène Baboulène, co-founder of Groupe 50, and a leading figure of the Toulon School; he exhibited internationally and is particularly sought after by collectors in the United States. Hand-signed, dated, and dedicated to the collector in his hometown.