Henri Edmond Cross (1856-1910), Paris, A Walk In The Bois De Boulogne, C. 1906, Pencil And Watercolor

Henri-Edmond Cross (1856 – 1910)
A walk in a park (Bois de Boulogne), c. 1906-1909
Watercolor and graphite
116 x 157 mm
Stamp from the artist's studio "H.E.C", lower right (Lugt 1305a)

Carefully framed under glass
Dimensions with frame: 22 x 26 cm

Excellent condition

The authenticity of this drawing has been confirmed by the artist's expert, Mr. Patrick Offenstadt.

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In this drawing, perfectly balanced between composition in pencil and poetry in watercolor, Henri-Edmond Cross, master of Neo-Impressionism, friend of Paul Signac, Félix Fénéon and Henri Matisse, explores the ephemeral harmonies, the syntheses of colors which make the magic of his artworks. As often with this artist, the trees allow him to compose his vision. Then, the movements of the brush appear to reinvent the random order of the clouds, crossed by the light of day, and the touches of watercolor are here to complete the calm serenity of this landscape.

This technique fascinated the artist and allowed him to work towards more graphic and pictorial freedom. In a letter to the painter Charles Angrand, Cross wrote about watercolour: "The absolute necessity to be quick, bold, even insolent, brings into the work a kind of beneficial fever after the months of languor spent on paintings, for which the first idea was always thoughtless."

Henri-Edmond Cross only traveled to Paris in the spring. The rest of the time he was living by the Mediterranean Sea. From the style of this drawing and the artist's biography, it is possible to date this sheet between the years 1906 and 1909 - with the exception of 1908, where it is known that Cross did not go to Paris. By 1910 Cross was already too ill to travel.

The work is even more exciting and enchanting when seen with the naked eye, in all its colorful nuances and movements of light.

August 2023: The art of Henri-Edmond Cross was showcased in two very fine joint exhibitions, one at the Musée de l'Annonciade in Saint-Tropez and the other at Villa Théo in the village of Le Lavandou, on the Mediterranean coast, where the artist lived. The latter exhibition, devoted entirely to his works on paper, gave a fresh look at this innovative and luminous artist. Our watercolour is a perfect follow-up to these recently exhibited and showcased artworks and absolutely deserves the admiration of a careful and passionate collector.

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Another very sublte drawing by Henri-Edmond Cross, preparatory study for the Portrait of Madame Cross (1901, kept in the musée d'Orsay in Paris) is also available on our gallery : see here.