Unknown

Marrakech Market signed Hartung

1960s

This Robert Farrington's painting serves as a visual gateway to a distinct period in post-war France, composed with a deep respect for the elements interwoven into the collective memory of Paris. His work adeptly engages with the archetypal settings and concepts that convey the quintessence of this beloved and frequently visited capital. As the viewer gazes upon this artwork, they are instantly immersed in the ambiance of a food trade street, and especially the familiar historic brasserie “Au Pied de Cochon” - the sole establishment in the painting that still exists nowadays - and its surroundings at the heart of the bustling Halles district. At "6 Rue Coquillère", the act of opening the doors, each adorned with handles that resemble pig's trotters, transports one through a temporal gateway into the quintessential French world of "la cochonnaille"... The renowned "Pied de Cochon" restaurant made its debut in 1947. In its early days, it became the preferred gathering place for the "Forts des Halles" – the diligent laborers who tirelessly transported goods through the pavilions of the old Halles de Paris. From these dedicated workers to the luminaries of the time, this establishment emerged as a symbol of Parisian life. Farrington reconstructs a scene around this restaurant, nourished by her own Parisian experience when he was a young American living in France. An iconic Brigitte Bardot poster...

When we mention Bernard Buffet, we instinctively think of his tortured portraits and dark representations of human emotions. However, his work presents a much richer and more complex dimension, such as this less conventional canvas, which, instead of focusing on characters, captures a Parisian scene in a landscape format. In this work, a view of the Seine and the sky, a fragment of the Eiffel Tower blending into a green that seems largely fantasized, a bridge and a total absence of human figures launch the viewer into a visual meditation of the secrets that reside at the heart of the City of Lights. The artist uses black not simply as a color but as a proper tool for sculpting. Shapes are drawn and delineated, contrasting with washed-out colors such as blue and green. Black symbolizes the mystery and inaccessibility of the emotions that the artist seeks to express. Unlike his other works, adding characters to tell a story, Buffet, with this piece, appears more interested in the elements and structural aspects of the composition itself. Buffet succeeds in establishing a link between the observer and the piece represented. The Eiffel Tower and the bridge become the keepers of secrets, frameworks that bear the weight of Paris's history. The river mirrors...