86 - Jean HELION (Couterne 1904–Paris 1987)

Jean HELION (Couterne 1904–Paris 1987) A Little Night Music, 1966–67 Oil on canvas 300 x 500 cm Signed, dated, and titled on the reverse: Hélion 1966–67 Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Restored damage, traces of moisture) Provenance: Artist’s estate, 1987 Galerie Gérald Piltzer, Paris, acquired from the previous owner in 1995 Private collection, Switzerland (acquired from the previous owner in 1996–97) Exhibitions: Paris, Grand Palais, Jean Hélion, Cent tableaux 1928–1970, December 11, 1970–February 1, 1971 Paris, Galerie Gérald Piltzer, “Hélion at Matignon,” September 28–November 22, 1995, reproduced on p. 75 Bibliography: H.-C. Cousseau, *Hélion*, Editions du Regard, 1992, reproduced on pp. 242 and 332 J.-D. Rey, Jean Hélion, L’atelier des brisants (Rencontre series), 2004, reproduced on p. 91 H.-C. Cousseau, Hélion, Editions du Regard, 2024, reproduced on pp. 242 and 332 Hélion, Online Catalog Raisonné, No. CROP0400 This lot is being presented as a temporary import. This lot will be sold under the general VAT regime (at a rate of 5.5% of the total price). There are memories that, through the power of their impact, transcend the mere moment experienced to become true pictorial motifs. With “Petite Musique de nuit,” created around 1966–1967, Jean Hélion gives precise form to one such memory: that of a Bastille Day celebration on Belle-Île-en-Mer. During one of his summer stays in Brittany, the painter was reportedly struck by the sight of a marching band passing through the port of Le Palais, a scene he captures here in a manner that is at once vivid, energetic, and deeply theatrical. Far from seeking the immediacy of a scene observed on the spot, Hélion captures its lasting impression, reconstructing it in his studio from his memory and imagination. On the back of the canvas, he inscribed the title in German, a language he mastered perfectly: *Eine kleine Nachtmusik*. This inscription, which lends the painting an almost musical quality, immediately invites the viewer to consider the work as the pictorial transcription of a sensory experience, in which the figures, colors, and light seem to respond to an invisible score. Brittany holds a special place in the life and work of Jean Hélion. Discovered in the early 1950s, Belle-Île quickly became one of his favorite destinations. He returned there regularly, finding in the coastal landscapes, the harbors, and their inhabitants an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Beginning in the late 1950s, his stays on Belle-Île notably fueled his depictions of wild coastal landscapes, views of Port-Coton, and scenes of fishermen. In the early 1960s, he returned once again to the motif of the port of Le Palais, observing its activities and familiar figures. These repeated visits to the island allowed him to develop an intimate knowledge of its places, rhythms, and popular celebrations. With “Petite Musique de nuit,” however, it is no longer simply a matter of depicting a landscape or harbor activity: the place becomes the setting for a collective scene, where everyday life is transformed into a spectacle. The large boat dominating the composition is the ferry connecting Belle-Île to Quiberon. Its imposing and almost mysterious presence is one of the defining elements of the painting. Hélion seems to have captured it at high tide, from a low-angle view that greatly accentuates its physical presence. Its dark hull looms over the crowd, while its geometric forms stand out against a sky streaked with colored mists. Yet the ship is not the true subject of the painting: rather, it forms a vast architectural structure, a monumental stage against which the human drama unfolds. This arrangement lends depth to the composition and establishes an almost choreographic relationship between the ship’s stillness and the bustle of the figures in the foreground. This work belongs to a prolific period in Jean Hélion’s career. In the mid-1960s, the painter devoted a significant portion of his artistic exploration to depicting the street, cars, passersby, and such figures. In urban scenes such as “Le Méridien de Greenwich,” “Musique pour une cabassière,” “La Rue verte,” and “L’Attente bleue,” he observes the chance encounters, movements, and crossings that make up the ever-changing spectacle of modern life. The crowd thus becomes a subject in its own right—no longer merely a collection of individual figures, but a living whole that the painter organizes, arranges, and brings to life. As highlighted in the chronology published by the Jean Hélion Association, the years 1965–1966 specifically saw the artist devoting himself simultaneously to these street scenes and to the July 14 festivities on Belle-Île, including “P