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Rotislaw Racoff (1904-1982). The White Rose. browse these categories for related items... All Items: Fine Art:Paintings:Oil:Europe:French: Pre 1970: item # 647137 Please refer to our stock # 2469 when inquiring.
Raymond Agler Fine Arts 16 Pleasant Street Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930 978-281-5048 Guest Book On Reserve |
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| Oil on pressed panel, 13 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches, signed l.r. and dated "63". One of the more interesting paths in the history of modern art leads from the French "primitive" painter, Henri Rousseau, to modern-day Paris and, specifically to 61, rue de Grenelle, the location of La Fondation Dina Vierny-Musee Maillol. Dina Vierny, a French artist's model was "discovered" at the age of 15 by the sculptor Aristede Maillol. Although they had not previously met, Maillol was convinced that Vierny was the inspiration for his sculptures. She subsequently posed for him over a period of ten years. Maillol also introduced her to Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard who were captivated in turn and whose art was renewed by her. Since it was accepted that Picasso and Braque took inspiration from Rousseau, Vierny, upon Maillol's death in a car accident in 1944, conceived the idea of pulling together the threads of the modern movement by assembling a collection of 20th-century "disciples" of Rousseau and the early moderns (principally French and Russian painters, working in Paris). Racoff is prominent in this collection which includes Duchamp, Kandinsky, Bombois, Matisse and Bonnard. Born in Russia, he was evidently in Paris by the 1920's and active there into the 60's, exhibiting occasionally at the Salon des Surindependants. He was obviously not a self-promoter, as there is little biographical material available. He worked in a small format, utilising extremely subtle lighting and delighting in the texture of flower petals, draperies and wood. The present work is typical (he often depicted roses). He evidently painted, like Rousseau, for himself and it does not merit undue effort to retrieve a "message" from the rose, broken stem, tarot cards and die. Like Rousseau's famous "Sleeping Gypsy" in The Museum of Modern Art, its message is that of the Sphinx. | ||
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