Nu fond vert

The female nude or half nude is one of Van Dongens most important subjects throughout his entire career. Later when he became the artist of the beau monde and portraits took more and more of his time, the nude remained an inspiration for him. In the present lot the woman is anonymous and her face has no special expression. Details do not seem to be important and everything is concentrated on her elegance and her direct pose. The vertical format of the canvas, the standing pose of the nude and vertical treatment of the lines and brushstrokes make her a typical example of a style much related to Art Deco and the world of the roaring twenties in which appearance and elegance were so important. (For more information on Van Dongens nudes: see Donald Kuspit, Kees van Dongen; Unequivocal colour and equivocal sexuality in: exh.cat., Rotterdam; Museum Boymans van Beuningen, Kees van Dongen, 17 December 1989 - 11 February 1990, p. 34-45)

To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist's work being prepared by the Wildenstein institute, no. 92.02.03.1136.35

See colour illustration