Gérard Blain Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

'Chinatown, San Francisco', gouache on fine art paper, by Edward Wilson Currier (1903). Spofford Alley in San Francisco's Chinatown is best known for an address (number 36) where Dr. Sun Yat-Sen plotted the overthrow of China's last dynasty. During Prohibition, it was the site of turf battles over local bootlegging and protection rackets. Today it is lined with seniors' community centres. However, the quiet alley livens up in the evenings when a Chinese orchestra strikes up a tune, mah-jongg games begin with a cascade of clicking tiles, and barbers and florists use the pretence of sweeping their doorsteps to gossip. In this artist's depiction, a man smokes a long-stemmed Chinese pipe under the awning and colourful lanterns hanging from the wooden supports while a child looks on. The artwork is interesting from several standpoints including architectural, cultural and historical. Shortly after this work was painted, the neighbourhood was completely destroyed in the 1906 earthquake that levelled most of the city. From 1910 to 1940, Chinese immigrants were detained at the Angel Island...

'Sacré-Coeur, Montmartre at Willette Square, Paris', gouache on art paper (circa 1930s), by Lucien Génin. Created by the Director of Public Ways and Promenades under Napoleon III, Sq...

'Parisian Street Scene', watercolour on art paper, by Roland DuBuc (circa 1970s). This artwork is a delightful depiction of a Parisian street which scales the hill to the neighbourhood of Montmartre, the home of the basilica of Sacré-Cœur. DuBuc's artworks serve as a love letter to the city of Paris and are recognised by his incredibly charming style. The signed artwork is in good overall condition and has been newly framed with anti-reflective glass. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video of the piece may be provided. About the Artist: Roland DuBuc (1924-1998), French artist, the sixth of 13 children and son of a construction worker. The very precariousness of the family's financial situation forced him to go to work at the age of 14. In extreme poverty, he moved to Rouen where he was lodged by the Salvation Army. During that time he struck up friendships with several artists who gave him advice and taught him techniques of drawing. He moved to other cities later where he met painters including, among others, Fred Pailhès...

'Temple Official', pencil and watercolour on paper by Robert Taylor Pritchett (1882). This is the artist's portrait of a financial official in a Cantonese temple in Guangzhou, China in the latter half of the 19th century. His garment is typical of that of a senior civil servant of the Chinese government. Clothes were designed to indicate rank and status, becoming so distinct that the wearer’s position could be ascertained at a glance. During his second career as an artist, Pritchett traveled widely in the Pacific region in the 1880s. This artwork has been professionally restored and cleaned to preserve it for decades to come and therefore in good overall condition. It has also been newly framed and glazed. The artist has written 'The Treasurer & Temple' and '5 Geni Temple, Canton Jan. 22 1882' on the lower left and right hands of the artwork. Upon request a video of the work may be provided. About the Artist: Robert Taylor Pritchett (1823 - 1907), a gun maker and artist, was the son of Richard Ellis...

'Le Pont Neuf', gouache on fine art paper, by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). The Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC, the birthplace of Paris. It is called 'The New Bridge' because at the time of its inauguration (built 1578-1607), it embodied a very modern look compared to other bridges which spanned the Seine. Lucien Génin has captured its beauty in this lively depiction from the 1930s. Just before the bridge is a 'Bateau Mouche' an open excursion boat that provides visitors with a view of the city from along the river. The artwork is in good overall condition commensurate with age and medium used. It has been newly frame with anti-reflective glass. Please enjoy the photos accompanying this listing. Signed by the artist in the lower left hand. Upon request a video may be provided. About the Artist: After the devastation of the First World War, Lucien Génin (1894 - 1953) left his provincial home in the autumn of 1919 to find his fortune among the lively Parisians in the heart of Montmartre. Génin befriended the painters Frank Will, Gen Paul, Émile Boyer, Marcel Leprin...

'Emile's Tavern', gouache on paper (circa 1930s), by Lucien Génin. A tavern in French is called a 'guinguette'. With the rise in living standards from the 1860s along with the develo...

'Le Café', watercolour on paper, by Catherine Garros (circa 1990s). Many people's idea of heaven is being seated at an outdoor café somewhere in one o...

'Paris, la Bourse', gouache on paper, by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). Created at the beginning of the 19th century by Napoleon, la Bourse, or the Stock Exchange, was intended to assert and encourage France’s prosperity in industry and trade. In 1826 the Stock Exchange was installed in the palace that the architect Brongniart had begun in 1808. Surrounded by a large peristyle of Corinthian columns, the rectangular structure reflects the official neo-classicism of the Empire Period. The artist, Génin, depicts a typically lively 1930s day in front of the building with cars of the period zooming by pedestrians on the walkway and others on the stairs leading to the entrance. He has an extremely charming, almost childlike style particularly the way he renders the people and the vehicles. The building, on the other hand, is accurate in its detail and more seriously presented. Our gallery has held and has sold over a dozen of Genin's paintings but this one stands out for its pure stylish appeal and ability to captivate while inducing a smile in the viewer. The artwork is in good overall condition - there are some minor blemishes not on the artwork itself but on the edges of the mount to which it is attached. The frame is in fair condition showing some nicks and scratches. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying the listing. Upon request a video can be provided. Signed by the artist in the lower right hand. About the Artist: After the devastation of the First World War, Lucien Génin (1894 - 1953) left his provincial home in the autumn of 1919 to find his fortune among the lively Parisians in the heart of Montmartre. Génin befriended the painters Frank Will, Gen Paul, Émile Boyer...

'The Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Paris', gouache on art paper by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). In Paris' 5th Arrondissement the site in which Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is ...

'Chez Maxim's', pastel and gouache on fine art paper, by André Meurice (circa 1950s - 60s). The artist depicts the glamorous clientele at the entryway to...

'Landscape with Man and Goats', gouache on paper, by Raymond Guerrier (circa 1960s). After the artist moved from Paris to the South of France, he started painting landscapes illumina...

'Views of Madagascar', gouache on paper, French School (circa 1960s). The artist depicts two views of Madagascar in a charming and naive style. The first, a farm and its fields with a significant verdant elevation in the background. The second, a villager sitting in front of his home watching...