Lot Essay
Although Forain was later to become almost a complete monochromist, in this work he shows himself capable of a remarkable sensitivity to colour in creating the effect of a bright, clear day at the seaside.
Lillian Browse draws our attention to the unusual subject-matter of this piece: "As Forain was essentially a painter of the urban scene it is always surprising to come across a country let alone a beach scene. I think it very likely that he and his friend Alfred Stevens - a painter of seascapes from the shore - spent a holiday together on the coast, for the latter started on the same "promeneuse" subject around 1880 and continued his series for a number of years. These dates tally with Forain's three pictures on the theme and this fact, together with the similarity of their results, seems to be more than coincidental ..." (L. Browse, Forain, London, 1978, pp. 103-4.)
This work will be included in the catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Mme. Jean Chagnaud-Forain and Mrs. Florence Valdès-Forain and is sold with a photo-certificate from Mme. Chagnaud-Forain dated le 2 Mai 1994.
Lillian Browse draws our attention to the unusual subject-matter of this piece: "As Forain was essentially a painter of the urban scene it is always surprising to come across a country let alone a beach scene. I think it very likely that he and his friend Alfred Stevens - a painter of seascapes from the shore - spent a holiday together on the coast, for the latter started on the same "promeneuse" subject around 1880 and continued his series for a number of years. These dates tally with Forain's three pictures on the theme and this fact, together with the similarity of their results, seems to be more than coincidental ..." (L. Browse, Forain, London, 1978, pp. 103-4.)
This work will be included in the catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Mme. Jean Chagnaud-Forain and Mrs. Florence Valdès-Forain and is sold with a photo-certificate from Mme. Chagnaud-Forain dated le 2 Mai 1994.