Circa 1965 "Port Corse" Nautical Seascape Oil Painting by Charles Levier, Framed

Description

Artist: CHARLES LEVIER (1920-2003)
Title: PORT CORSE
Medium & Surface: ORIGINAL OIL ON CANVAS (framed)
Signed: HAND SIGNED BY ARTIST … more Artist: CHARLES LEVIER (1920-2003)
Title: PORT CORSE
Medium & Surface: ORIGINAL OIL ON CANVAS (framed)
Signed: HAND SIGNED BY ARTIST LOWER RIGHT AND ON VERSO
Year Created: CIRCA 1965
Country of Creation: UNITED STATES

Image Area Dimensions: 40 x 50 INCHES
Frame Dimensions:* 46.25 x 56.125 x 1.25 INCHES
*This work of art is being sold framed.

Additional Info: HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE WORK BY CHARLES LEVIER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND IN BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM WOOD FRAME
Artist Info/Bio: ARTIST BIOGRAPHY DOCUMENT IS INCLUDED
Documentation: CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY CALIFORNIA FINE ART BROKERS IS INCLUDED

"Port Corse," an original oil on canvas by Charles Levier, is a piece for the true collector. Levier's vivid detail projects from the painting, immediately capturing the viewer's attention, highlighting the artist's keen ability to capture emotion, nature, and life - all in a brushstroke. Special to this piece, on the back of the canvas you will notice Levier's fingerprints and evidence of the original painting process. Both the technical talent of Levier and his choice of subject matter pair perfectly with the beautifully crafted custom wood frame. This masterful work is perfect for those who have an affinity for abstracts, post-impressionism, cubism, nature, and nautical works.

Levier is most known for his abstracted Post-Impressionistic still lifes, figurative works, cityscapes, landscapes, and harbor paintings. Levier often employs strong, black brushstrokes to outline his subjects. His use of colors shows his mastery of composition, using progressing rich shades of blues, greens, and reds across layers.

Levier frequently employed a Cubist technique. Cubism was developed in France in the teens and the 1920s by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, nd Georges Braque (French, Several artists, like Levier, continued to paint in the Cubist manner well into the 20th century.

Born in Corsica in 1920 (along with his twin brother, Jean-Jérôme) to a French father and American mother, Charles Levié later decided to change his name to Levier to find success from his talent and not ride the coattails of his famous father, a war hero who at age 19 was the youngest to receive the Legion of Honour, the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits. Levier’s mother, Gladys, was a talented painter in her own right, and most certainly was a strong influence in Levier’s artistic pursuits.

At 17, Levier enrolled at L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs. He studied with André Lhote and Georges Rouault. His early career, however, was halted due to Levier’s military service for the French Army during World War II, where he served primarily in the North African conflict. He skills in English allowed him to become a liaison between the French Army and the US Office of Strategic Services.

After the conflict, Levier decided to set up his studio in the US, while maintaining close ties with France. His career took off in 1949 when he opened his first one man show at the Galerie Constantine in Lyons. He opened his first American show in Los Angeles one year later.

Levier was a favorite artist among the pop culture elite in the US. The rat pack, in particular Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, were major collectors of his work. Other notable collectors included the already mentioned Jackie Kennedy, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Prince and Princess Pontiatoski, and Peter Lawford.

In 1955, his reputation was well established. Two prestigious galleries in Paris and New York held solo exhibitions of his work, the Gallery of the Colosseum and the Lilienfeld Gallery. Levier’s artwork referenced earlier French creations due to its emphasis on cubism. The same design principles were echoed in the mid-century modern movement, making Levier’s art particularly popular during the 1950s and 1960s in the US.

Today, Levier’s works remain some of the most sought after and collected in modern art history. His successful career in France and the US gained him a dedicated and loyal global following that continues to support his work. His work can be seen in many museums around the globe, including the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Menton Museum of Art in Paris, the Atlanta Museum, the Seattle Museum, and the San Diego Museum.

Charles Levier passed away in 2003 from lung cancer, but his tremendous legacy lives on. His ashes have been placed in the funeral chapel that bears his family name, “Levie and Farinacci,” which is located at the marine cemetery in Ajaccio, Corsica. less