GEORGES BRAQUE (1882-1963) OISEAU, 1959 Watercolor... Lot 7

GEORGES BRAQUE (1882-1963) OISEAU, 1959 Watercolor and India ink on rag paper Signed lower right, dedicated 'Pour P. Reverdy vieil ami' and dated '1959' middle right Watercolor and India ink on rag paper; signed lower right, dedicated 'Pour P. Reverdy vieil ami' and dated '1959' middle right 24,5 X 34 CM - 9 5/8 X 13 3/8 IN. PROVENANCE Collection Pierre Reverdy, France. Collection particulière, France. "From 1953 onwards, when he was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Louvre, the motif [bird] took on such importance in his repertoire that it had the value of the artist's signature. The painter declares that he sees it only as a pictorial motif: 'From this vision I have drawn aerial forms', he says. I must, however, bury in my memory their natural function as birds. Francis Ponge explains: "Braque's birds are much heavier than air [...] but they fly better than all the birds in painting, because, like real birds, they start from the ground, come down to feed, and fly back up." H-C. Cousseau, P. Dagen, M. Desbiolles, Georges Braque (1882-1963), Grand Palais, Paris, expo. cat. 18 September 2013 - 6 January 2013. Pierre Reverdy is considered one of the precursors of surrealism, and has notably influenced great names such as André Breton and Paul Éluard. A frequent visitor to the Bateau-Lavoir and an integral part of the artistic milieu of the time, he befriended painters such as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, who illustrated some of his collections such as Les Ardoises du toit and Chants des morts. In 1926, he settled near the abbey of Solesmes where he spent the last thirty years of his life. From then on, his work took on a mystical dimension. It was during this period that the poet wrote his most beautiful works, including Sources du vent.