Marcel LENOIR ( 1872-1931) - Lot 117

Marcel LENOIR ( 1872-1931) Five drawings - Studies of female nudes in various positions. Ink on paper, three signed and two double-sided. 26.5 x 21 cm (for the two largest) Provenance : Sale of the artist's studio. Jules Oury (1872-1931), son of a Montauban goldsmith, was a figure of Parisian artistic bohemia in the early 20th century, under the pseudonym Marcel-Lenoir. A draftsman, engraver, illuminator and painter, he developed a protean body of work on the bangs of the artistic currents of the time, from prints to frescoes, in turn symbolist, neo-classical or mystical. In 1908, he also published a collection of poems, thoughts and aphorisms entitled Raison ou Déraison. From 1896 to 1904, the artist's iconography was essentially esoteric, reserved for the initiated and veiled in hidden symbols. An illuminator, he was passionate about gouaches enhanced with gold, lithographs and posters. His meticulous works made him a figure of Symbolism and Art Nouveau. From 1905 to 1913, his artistic circle underwent a metamorphosis. His friends included Picasso and Maurice Denis. As a theologian, Marcel-Lenoir continued to paint religious scenes, renewing them with portraits, scenes of daily life, landscapes and still lifes. He developed a new aesthetic, carving out a unique, original, unclassifiable style, always with an emphasis on detail: vivid colors, concern for volume, simplification of form. Finally, between 1919 and 1931, the artist became a celebrated figure in the art world, constantly enriching his iconography with religious and secular scenes. Discharged from the army during the Great War, he continued to work and made his debut as a fresco artist. In 1920, he founded a fresco school. Marcel-Lenoir, one of the masters of decorative art, never ceased to reinvent himself, becoming a source of inspiration for his contemporaries. Thanks to the creation of his fresco school, he gained worldwide renown. Confirmation Authentication of all works in this auction dedicated to the artist Marcel-Lenoir by the Comité Marcel-Lenoir.