Ramiro ARRUE (1892-1971) L'Etche - the Basque... Lot 377

Ramiro ARRUE (1892-1971) L'Etche - the Basque House, circa 1947 Two painted canvases mounted on hinged frames. Part of a theater set designed and used for Oldarra's ballets Lekeitio and Igandea. 270 x (150+140) cm ATTRIBUTED to Ramiro ARRUE (1892-1971), Pan de murs, painted on canvas. 236 x 150 cm (accidents and missing parts) ATTACHED: LES BALLETS BASQUES DE BIARRITZ - OLDARRA, brochure, cover illustrated by Edouard Fiol, 1956. 16 p. Our decor illustrated in photos on pp. 8 and 9 of the booklet, and descriptions of the pieces in the articles. Ramiro ARRUE worked extensively in the performing arts. He designed operas, costumes, sets and illustrated programs and posters throughout his career. Perkain is probably one of the works that made him famous and best known, but there are many others. After the Second World War, Biarritz's Ballets Oldarra relaunched shows featuring Basque tradition and folklore. They performed all over France and elsewhere in Europe with some success. Ramiro ARRUE often designs the sets, in particular those for Lekeitio and Igandea, as can be seen from the enclosed program brochure. Handled, stored and often moved, the sets have stood the test of time and use. Few have survived to the present day. The Basque house is probably one of the strongest elements of Basque identity, as much for its Etche concept as for the typical architecture it represents. Arrue's style, with its flat surfaces, often foreshortened perspectives and the staging of characters in carefully framed settings, also favors this very special relationship between Ramirro Arrue and the theater. Bibliography: - Olivier RIBETON, Ramiro ARRUE entre avant-garde et tradition, Biarritz, le Bellevue, July-September 2017, exhibition catalog, p. 252 and 253. - Olivier RIBETON, Ramiro ARRUE (1892-1971) un artiste basque dans les collections publiques françaises, ed. Musée Basque, 1991.