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Lot Essay
Kees van Dongen was often associated with the Fauves, and in Femme en bleu au collier rouge one can see the similarities between his works and those of, say, Vlaminck and Derain in the bold fields of colour, especially in the blue which fills so much of the canvas. Yet also at play is a gentle and discreet colourism at work in this painting, as is seen especially in the modulated tones of the olive-tinted skin of her face. This adds a delicacy to the picture which is emphasised by the wistful gaze of the woman herself. Van Dongen has masterfully used the red of the woman's necklace and lips as well as the yellows of the landscape outdoors, restricted to a glimpse in the upper right extreme of the blue-bathed canvas, in order to increase the sense of coolness and shade that is conveyed in this interior. In the composition and colourism of Femme en bleu au collier rouge, there is a hint of Matisse, while the figure of the woman appears to owe more, in terms of atmosphere, to the contemplative world of Chardin.
In terms of dress, of the liberated palette with which Femme en bleu au collier rouge has been painted and the indications of the section of landscape, with the hat-wearing man and his donkey, this picture seems to show the influence of Van Dongen's revelatory 1910 journey to Spain and Morocco. While travelling, he executed numerous sketches, and on his return to Paris created masterpieces condensing his memories and impressions in oils. These pictures showed to what extent he had been enthralled by both the exoticism of those countries for Van Dongen was a great chronicler of the exotic, the erotic, the sensuous, inhabiting the Paris demi-monde and revelling in its antics. In addition, Van Dongen's journey resulted in another epiphany, prompted by the Mediterranean light. This encouraged him to lighten his palette. It is this light that appears to fill Femme en bleu au collier rouge with its glow, despite the fact that it shows a largely shaded area. It is therefore telling to note that, in his own introduction to a catalogue, written in 1911, he mentioned the presence in his pictures of 'bleu qui est la limière et le repos' (Van Dongen in 1911, quoted in D. Marchesseau, Kees van Dongen, exh.cat., Martigny, 2002, p. 88).
In terms of dress, of the liberated palette with which Femme en bleu au collier rouge has been painted and the indications of the section of landscape, with the hat-wearing man and his donkey, this picture seems to show the influence of Van Dongen's revelatory 1910 journey to Spain and Morocco. While travelling, he executed numerous sketches, and on his return to Paris created masterpieces condensing his memories and impressions in oils. These pictures showed to what extent he had been enthralled by both the exoticism of those countries for Van Dongen was a great chronicler of the exotic, the erotic, the sensuous, inhabiting the Paris demi-monde and revelling in its antics. In addition, Van Dongen's journey resulted in another epiphany, prompted by the Mediterranean light. This encouraged him to lighten his palette. It is this light that appears to fill Femme en bleu au collier rouge with its glow, despite the fact that it shows a largely shaded area. It is therefore telling to note that, in his own introduction to a catalogue, written in 1911, he mentioned the presence in his pictures of 'bleu qui est la limière et le repos' (Van Dongen in 1911, quoted in D. Marchesseau, Kees van Dongen, exh.cat., Martigny, 2002, p. 88).