Raphaël Drouart, The Impassive Helmsman, 1920s, Etching

Details

Description

Raphaël Drouart (1884 1972)

Le Barreur Impassible
(The Impassive Helmsman)

Original Etching on Paper
1920s

Size (overall): 390 x 279 … Read more Raphaël Drouart (1884 1972)

Le Barreur Impassible
(The Impassive Helmsman)

Original Etching on Paper
1920s

Size (overall): 390 x 279 mm
Size (image): 248 x 177 mm
Numbered 16/50, lower left
Hand Signed, lower right

Edition of 50

On the bottom, inscribed: "Le Barreur Impassible"

Provenance
Collection Jacques Rodrigues-Henriquès

Literature
Published in:
Thierry Lefrançois, "Raphaël Drouart : 1884-1972 : catalogue complet de son oeuvre gravé", La Rochelle, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 1990

Excellent Condition:
The central etched plate mark is crisp, and the ink impression of the figure and background is dark, rich, and clear with no smudging or fading
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The Artist

Maurice Raphaël Drouart (1884-1972), was a versatile French painter, printmaker, and illustrator whose career bridged classical artistic training and the modernist movements of the early twentieth century. He initially studied painting under Fernand Cormon and engaged closely with the Nabis, notably working as an assistant to Maurice Denis on the ceiling of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

Drouart’s artistic trajectory was interrupted by the First World War, during which he spent over three years as a prisoner of war in Germany. Following his return, he mastered various printmaking techniques, eventually exhibiting his woodcuts, etchings, and lithographs widely. Throughout the 1920s, he gained renown as a book and art illustrator, collaborating with publishers like Arthur Goldscheider and participating in the landmark 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Appointed a knight of the Legion of Honour in 1938, Drouart passed away in 1972.
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The Collector

Jacques Rodrigues-Henriquès (1886–1968) was a prominent French art dealer and expert who operated a gallery on Rue Bonaparte and managed the artistic legacy of his stepfather, Félix Vallotton. Positioned within the powerful Bernheim-Jeune family and collaborating with critic Félix Fénéon, he shaped the European market for early 20th-century modern art by exhibiting works from major figures like Pierre Bonnard, Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, and Maximilien Luce.
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The Artwork

Maurice Raphaël Drouart’s print "Le barreur impassible" (The Impassive Helmsman) presents a dramatic, monumental composition deeply indebted to the great plastic traditions of the Renaissance and monumental symbolism.

In the foreground, the central figure of the ferryman or helmsman embodies a stoic impassivity amidst the agitation of the passengers crowded behind him. His posture directly evokes monumental statuary and introspective sculpture, and Rodin’s Thinker.

The Thinker shines through in the vigorous modelling of the torso and the pensive attitude of the arm. The folded arm, the hand supporting the chin or jaw, and the concentrated muscular tension convey a deep psychological weight and an internalisation of suffering or destiny, characteristic of Auguste Rodin’s work.

The influence of Michelangelo is evident in the anatomical treatment of the bodies, sculpted by light much like the ignudi of the Sistine Chapel or the Slaves (captives). The muscular torsos, powerful modelling of the arms, and dramatic relief recall the physical pathos and heroic strength that the Florentine master infused into the human form.

The nod to Michelangelo's Lorenzo (the Duke of Urbino on the Medici tombs, nicknamed Il Pensieroso) manifests in that same attitude of melancholic withdrawal, with the chin resting on the hand, gazing into the distance with tragic impassivity, detached from the tumult of the crowd in the background.

Here, Drouart uses his mastery of printmaking (marked by the deep contrasts of manière noire) to sculpt shadows and light, transforming an allegorical or mythological scene into a timeless reflection on the human condition, fatality, and the solitude of the soul facing trials. This piece has an attribution mark,
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