Tahitian Musicians

Oil on canvas signed and dated 1948 - Tahiti - Pacific
Arthur HURNI 1903 – 1993

Swiss actor and painter born in Geneva. In his youth, dissuaded by those around him from pursuing the fine arts, he began a theatrical and cinematographic career during which he played supporting roles from 1923 to 1937. Abandoning the profession of actor, he left for the 1940s in search of somewhere else, first among the Indians of Panama then for Tahiti where he remained until 1950. It is there in this colorful universe vivid and well-defined that he begins to paint, finding the material that corresponds to his sensitivity. Hurni's painting is figurative, clear and simple, made of uniform and well-limited flat colored areas. Even more than the influence of Matisse and Gauguin, we find there above all that of the customs officer Rousseau. There is no shadow and the perspective interests him little. Back in Switzerland, he continued throughout his remaining life to paint in his initial manner, both synthetic and naive.
This oil on canvas is from his Tahitian period dated 1948, having belonged to one of his friends, Mr. Gomichon Des Granges, lawyer and large landowner in the New Hebrides.