'Abstract in Coral and Gold' by Maurice Estève, Academie Colarossi, Grand Prix National Des Arts

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Signed, lower right, 'Estève' for Maurice Estève (French, 1904-2001) and inscribed, lower left 'E d'A' for Epreuve d'Artiste.
Provenance: Collection … Read more Signed, lower right, 'Estève' for Maurice Estève (French, 1904-2001) and inscribed, lower left 'E d'A' for Epreuve d'Artiste.
Provenance: Collection of Ann and Norman Bikales, Pebble Beach, California.

Maurice Estève was born May 2, 1904 in Culan in the Cher where he spent his childhood with his grandparents. In 1913, he joined them in Paris, where he discovered the Louvre Museum and was particularly impressed by Uccello's Battle of San Romano. Returning to Culan for the summer, he remained there during the war years and was painting by 1915. He lived in Paris again from 1918, first apprenticed to a typographer then to a modern furniture design studio. In the evenings, he attended drawing classes and, in 1919, discovered the paintings of Cézanne. He also attended the free art workshop of the Academy Colarossi in Montparnasse. Marked until 1927 by the painting of the Primitives and the influence of Cézanne, the Academy fell temporarily under the influence of surrealism, particularly as practiced by Giorgio de Chirico.

Estève mounted his first solo exhibition in 1930 before becoming interested in film and directing. In 1936, on the advice of Braque who was participating, he was invited to exhibit in Stockholm with Matisse, Picasso, Juan Gris and Fernand Léger. The following year, he collaborated with Robert and Sonia Delaunay in the mural paintings for the pavilions of the Aviation and Railways at the Universal Exhibition of Paris.

Estève painted in oils and watercolor, drew in charcoal, and mastered several graphic media including lithography, woodcut, monotype and collage. In 1970, he was awarded the Grand Prix National des Arts. Over the course of a long career, he exhibited widely and was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards. In 1985, he donated over a hundred of his works to the City of Bourges which created the "Estève Museum" in the Hotel des Echevins which was restored with the assistance of the Historic Monuments under the direction of the Museums of France, and which was inaugurated in 1987. See less