Marcelle la Blonde

Description

Gris met the celebrated blonde beauty Marcelle Brun while vacationing in the French Riviera, where they enjoyed lavish dinners and sometimes danced until three in the morning. Gris completed several portraits of his acquaintances during this time. All of the graphite portraits were bust-length, three-quarter views of the sitter, with single, continuous lines used to represent their facial features. Here, you can trace a line from Brun’s left eye, down the left side of her nose, to the top of her lip.

Provenance

Given by the artist to Marcelle Brun, Paris, 1921. Sold by Sylvain Durand, Paris, to Alfred Richet, Paris, 1957; sold, Sotheby’s, London, Nov. 29, 1994, lot 18, to Dorothy Braude Edinburg, Brookline, MA; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2013.

Marcelle la Blonde

Juan Gris

1921

Accession Number

186083

Medium

Graphite on cream wove paper

Dimensions

36 × 27 cm (14 3/16 × 10 11/16 in.)

Classification

prints and drawing

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection