Lunis

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Francis Picabia
Lunis
c. 1929

About the Item

A painting by Francis Picabia. "Lunis" is a dada, orphic painting, oil on canvas in a soft palette of blues and yellows by modern French artist Francis Picabia. It is signed in the lower right, "Francis Picabia" and titled in the upper left, "Lunis". Francis Picabia’s Lunis from 1929-1930 belongs to an exploration by the artist of layered figurative compositions. Called Transparences for their overlapping images akin to photographic transparencies, the works in this series mimic the delicate translucent qualities of a butterfly’s wings. Indeed, Picabia likely looked to those elegant insects for inspiration, studying an encyclopedia of butterfly species (Atlas de poche des papillons de France, Suisse et Belgique by Paul Girod) that was in his personal library. In Lunis, dotted wings swirl and mingle with other compositional elements, blending and transforming with other layers and lines – merging with the outline of a woman’s face, a bird’s contour, or the less-defined linear elements that draw the viewers eyes around the painting in graceful arcs. The Transparences are a major body of work that Picabia created in a short period between c. 1928-1931. These ethereal and surreal compositions stand in contrast to the artist’s earlier explorations of Pointillism, Cubism, and perhaps most notably Dadaism. In the late teens and early ‘20s, Picabia was a dominant figure of that movement alongside his contemporaries and friends Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. Among his most celebrated contributions to Dadaism are the “portraits méchaniques,” which applied a fascination with the machinery of the modern world to experiences and expressions of the human condition. These mechanomorphic elements and collage-like images, though on the surface appear to be quite different from his later surrealist explorations, suggest a common thread of complex structure with layers of image and meaning. Picabia would ultimately reject Dadaism, maintaining its capacity to shock and affect the viewer had diminished. In paintings like Lunis, Picabia embraces ambiguity, opting for evocative subtlety over the satirical arresting nature of Dada. Here, the eye flutters between birds, plants, butterflies, and the tranquil gazes of three faces, which suggest references to the three graces of Greek mythology pictured in Botticelli’s Primavera. Picabia certainly could have looked to this Italian master for inspiration, but the layered references in Lunis elude easy identification. This piece is a complex and mysterious arrangement, enhanced by captivating color. It will be included in the forthcoming Picabia catalogue raisonné being prepared by the Comité Picabia. Provenance: Maurice Montet, Paris Galerie Ch.. Le Chanjour, Nice (1979) Private Collection, Switzerland (1980-2001) Lucien Bilinelli, Brussels and Milan (2006) Sale: Sotheby's, London, 7th February 2006, lot 65 Private Collection, Russia (2006-2009) Sale: Sotheby's, London, 3rd February 2009, lot 22 Private Collection (2009-2015) Sale: Sotheby's, London, Surrealist Art Evening Sale, 3rd February 2015, lot 75 Private Collection, California Literature: William A. Camfield, Beverley Calté, Candace Clements, Arnauld Pierre. Francis Picabia Catalogue Raisonné. Volume III (1927-1939)

Creator:
Francis Picabia (1879-1953, French)
Creation Year:
c. 1929
Dimensions:
Height: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Width: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)
Medium:
Oil,Canvas
Movement & Style:
Modern
Period:
Early 20th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Palm Desert, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: 383221stDibs: LU937625092