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Lot Essay
Finistère is in Brittany, France and in this case should not be confused with Cape Finisterre off the West Coast of Spain. Various Vaughan catalogues (including Whitechapel Catalogue) make this mistake when identifying the location of some of his paintings. Even Vaughan's own records are at times confused.
Vaughan spent much of the summer of 1949 cycling around Brittany and later recalled the,'harsh, dour and dramatic landscape: black, white, grey and ochre: peasant life, seaweed hoists and other motifs' (see Exhibition catalogue, Keith Vaughan: Retrospective Exhibition, London, Whitechapel Art Gallery, March - April 1962, p. 10). While there he made a series of drawings of the fishermen and bathers of the region and on returning, evolved important new poses and attitudes for his figures. Several examples may be found in his journals (see K. Vaughan, Journal and Drawings 1939-1965, London, 1966, pp. 117, 119, 128 and 133). The present work, based on such drawings, was probably completed when he returned home.
Next to an upturned blue boat, three bathers playfully interact with one another while drying themselves after swimming. Their energetic activities are paralleled in Vaughan's vigorous handling of the wax crayon and gouache. Images of bathers, fishermen, beaches and boats observed at Finistère, occur frequently in Vaughan's paintings and lithographs between 1950-53 (including Seaweed Hoist, Finistère (1951), Fishermen and Bathers (1951), First Assembly of Figures (1952), and Figure Group at Cumae (1953).
We are very grateful to Gerard Hastings for compiling this catalogue note and notes for lots 111, 116 and 117. Gerard is currently preparing a Keith Vaughan retrospective of drawings from 6 - 11 September 2010. For more information please contact Gerard Hastings c/o Christie's, South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3LD.
Vaughan spent much of the summer of 1949 cycling around Brittany and later recalled the,'harsh, dour and dramatic landscape: black, white, grey and ochre: peasant life, seaweed hoists and other motifs' (see Exhibition catalogue, Keith Vaughan: Retrospective Exhibition, London, Whitechapel Art Gallery, March - April 1962, p. 10). While there he made a series of drawings of the fishermen and bathers of the region and on returning, evolved important new poses and attitudes for his figures. Several examples may be found in his journals (see K. Vaughan, Journal and Drawings 1939-1965, London, 1966, pp. 117, 119, 128 and 133). The present work, based on such drawings, was probably completed when he returned home.
Next to an upturned blue boat, three bathers playfully interact with one another while drying themselves after swimming. Their energetic activities are paralleled in Vaughan's vigorous handling of the wax crayon and gouache. Images of bathers, fishermen, beaches and boats observed at Finistère, occur frequently in Vaughan's paintings and lithographs between 1950-53 (including Seaweed Hoist, Finistère (1951), Fishermen and Bathers (1951), First Assembly of Figures (1952), and Figure Group at Cumae (1953).
We are very grateful to Gerard Hastings for compiling this catalogue note and notes for lots 111, 116 and 117. Gerard is currently preparing a Keith Vaughan retrospective of drawings from 6 - 11 September 2010. For more information please contact Gerard Hastings c/o Christie's, South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3LD.