Beschreibung:

Armand (Francois Joseph) Henrion French, 1875-1958 Clown with Glasses Signed Arm. Henrion (lr) Oil on pa... French, 1875-1958 Clown with Glasses Signed Arm. Henrion (lr) Oil on panel 6 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches Provenance: Private collection A Belgian-born artist who exhibited in Belgian Salons before settling in Paris and becoming a naturalized French citizen, Henrion had a consuming fascination the character of Pierrot, a French equivalent of the Italian Pedrolino of the Commedia dell'arte. Henrion portrayed himself as this comic trickster, who traditionally did not wear a mask, but instead applied heavy white face makeup. Many artists, from Jean-Antoine Watteau to Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso and Aubrey Beardsley were also captivated by Pierrot, often considering him a kind of mirror image of the artist. Henrion's literal transformation of Pierrot into himself presents a unique twist on the legacy of the views of this character in whom artists have long seen themselves echoed. In portraying himself as Pierrot, Henrion explored nuances of humor, as his expressions in the works encompass the facial expressions conveying such qualities as the tongue-in-cheek, the retort, the comeback, the riposte, and the droll comment. Henrion's animated, gestural handling in the creation of the small jewel-like depictions concurs with the feeling they convey of a light-hearted sense that life is to be enjoyed. C The Spanierman Gallery, LLC Collection of American Art