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Learn MorePort du Croisic by Jean Metzinger
- This work is a rare is a rare example of Jean Metzinger's Pointillist style
- It depicts a shimmering Mediterranean scene full of radiance and colorful depth
- It embodies the precision and intellectual rigor that distinguished Metzinger
- View the Dossier
- Get complete item description here
$885,000
Item No.
32-1703
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Description
Jean Metzinger
1883-1956 | French
Port du Croisic
Signed "J. Metzinger" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
This exceptional painting by the celebrated French artist Jean Metzinger is a rare example of his Pointillist style. Depicting his most coveted subject, Port du Croisic is a shimmering Mediterranean scene full of radiance and colorful depth. Created during a pivotal moment in the early 20th century, this work embodies the technical precision and intellectual rigor. . .
1883-1956 | French
Port du Croisic
Signed "J. Metzinger" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
This exceptional painting by the celebrated French artist Jean Metzinger is a rare example of his Pointillist style. Depicting his most coveted subject, Port du Croisic is a shimmering Mediterranean scene full of radiance and colorful depth. Created during a pivotal moment in the early 20th century, this work embodies the technical precision and intellectual rigor. . .
Read More
Jean Metzinger
1883-1956 | French
Port du Croisic
Signed "J. Metzinger" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
This exceptional painting by the celebrated French artist Jean Metzinger is a rare example of his Pointillist style. Depicting his most coveted subject, Port du Croisic is a shimmering Mediterranean scene full of radiance and colorful depth. Created during a pivotal moment in the early 20th century, this work embodies the technical precision and intellectual rigor that distinguished Metzinger as one of the most original visionaries of modern art.
In Port du Croisic, Metzinger’s mastery of Pointillism reaches its fullest expression. Every meticulous brushstroke contributes to the atmospheric harmony of morning light, where sea, sky and sailboats merge through a symphony of optical vibration. Inspired by Seurat and Signac, Metzinger absorbed and advanced the innovations of their Divisionist techniques, reinvigorating the style with new vitality after Seurat's death in 1891. His interest in mathematics and optics allowed him to transform the mosaic-like application of pure color into a tool for expressive abstraction.
Metzinger was born in Nantes in 1883 and trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in his native city before moving to Paris, where he became a central figure in the avant-garde. Drawn to Neo-Impressionism, he developed a distinct variation characterized by sharp brushwork and an architectural style of composition. His rare Pointillist works, such as Port du Croisic are testaments to his groundbreaking belief that color and structure could coexist in perfect equilibrium—an idea that would underpin his later contributions to Cubism.
Exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1905, Metzinger considered this work one of his Pointillist masterpieces, holding it in his personal collection for years before gifting it to his dear friend. Comparable works from this pivotal period are held in major institutions, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, the Kröller-Müller Museum and the Musée d’Art moderne de Troyes.
View the Dossier
Painted in 1905
Canvas: 24 3/4" high x 35 1/2" wide (62.79 x 90.17 cm)
Frame: 35 1/4" high x 43 3/4" wide x 2" deep (89.54 x 111.13 x 5.08 cm)
Provenance:
Monsieur Bertet, Marseille, a gift from the artist
Rose Saporte-Bertet, Marseille, a gift from the above
Private Collection, a gift from the above in 1953
Private Collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne, no. AM-05-004
Exhibited:
Paris, Grande Serre de l'Alma, Cours-la-Reine, 21e Salon des Indépendants, March-April 1905, p. 172, no. 2902
(possibly) Paris, Galerie Berthe Weill, Exposition de peintures, November-December 1905, no. 51 (titled Marine (Le Croisic)
Paris, L'Adresse Musée de la Poste and Paris, Musée de Lodève, Gleizes, Metzinger, du Cubisme et après, May 2012-November 2013 (illustrated in color, p. 57)
1883-1956 | French
Port du Croisic
Signed "J. Metzinger" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
This exceptional painting by the celebrated French artist Jean Metzinger is a rare example of his Pointillist style. Depicting his most coveted subject, Port du Croisic is a shimmering Mediterranean scene full of radiance and colorful depth. Created during a pivotal moment in the early 20th century, this work embodies the technical precision and intellectual rigor that distinguished Metzinger as one of the most original visionaries of modern art.
In Port du Croisic, Metzinger’s mastery of Pointillism reaches its fullest expression. Every meticulous brushstroke contributes to the atmospheric harmony of morning light, where sea, sky and sailboats merge through a symphony of optical vibration. Inspired by Seurat and Signac, Metzinger absorbed and advanced the innovations of their Divisionist techniques, reinvigorating the style with new vitality after Seurat's death in 1891. His interest in mathematics and optics allowed him to transform the mosaic-like application of pure color into a tool for expressive abstraction.
Metzinger was born in Nantes in 1883 and trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in his native city before moving to Paris, where he became a central figure in the avant-garde. Drawn to Neo-Impressionism, he developed a distinct variation characterized by sharp brushwork and an architectural style of composition. His rare Pointillist works, such as Port du Croisic are testaments to his groundbreaking belief that color and structure could coexist in perfect equilibrium—an idea that would underpin his later contributions to Cubism.
Exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1905, Metzinger considered this work one of his Pointillist masterpieces, holding it in his personal collection for years before gifting it to his dear friend. Comparable works from this pivotal period are held in major institutions, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, the Kröller-Müller Museum and the Musée d’Art moderne de Troyes.
View the Dossier
Painted in 1905
Canvas: 24 3/4" high x 35 1/2" wide (62.79 x 90.17 cm)
Frame: 35 1/4" high x 43 3/4" wide x 2" deep (89.54 x 111.13 x 5.08 cm)
Provenance:
Monsieur Bertet, Marseille, a gift from the artist
Rose Saporte-Bertet, Marseille, a gift from the above
Private Collection, a gift from the above in 1953
Private Collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne, no. AM-05-004
Exhibited:
Paris, Grande Serre de l'Alma, Cours-la-Reine, 21e Salon des Indépendants, March-April 1905, p. 172, no. 2902
(possibly) Paris, Galerie Berthe Weill, Exposition de peintures, November-December 1905, no. 51 (titled Marine (Le Croisic)
Paris, L'Adresse Musée de la Poste and Paris, Musée de Lodève, Gleizes, Metzinger, du Cubisme et après, May 2012-November 2013 (illustrated in color, p. 57)
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Specifications
| Maker: | Metzinger, Jean |
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Paintings |
| Style: | Post-Impressionism |
| Depth: | 2.0 in. (5.08 cm) |
| Width: | 43.75 in. (111.13 cm) |
| Height: | 35.25 in. (89.54 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 35.500 in. (90.17 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 24.720 in. (62.79 cm) |
Buy with Confidence
At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.
Learn More
