French Swiss Artist Germaine Verna Society Portrait Of A Lady O/C. C1950. Signed

Description: For sale is a wonderful society portrait oil on canvas painting by the well regard French Swiss artist Germaine Verna (1900 - 1975) Verna's society portraits were typically those of the local people of Ascona Switzerland after leaving Italy around WW2. Here she depicts a lady of society leisurely relaxing in her recliner chair. Wearing a risqué outfit for the time she sits with her right leg up gazing down and off to the viewers left. Her surroundings are painted in abstracted forms with what may be a bouquet of colorful flowers besides her. A very poignant portrait. Done in nice bold brushstrokes. Oil on canvas. Framed in a newer contemporary frame. Circa 1940 - 1950 in age The painting is signed by the artist in the lower right corner. Condition: Mostly good. Could benefit from a cleaning. No rips or tears noted. Frame or stretcher has a slight warp to it. Not taken out of frame Measurements: Framed - 40 1/2" x 30" Canvas - 36" x 25 1/2" Germaine Verna (1900 - 1975) During the early 1920’s the artist studied at a number of studios in Paris including André Lurcat, André Lhote, Othon Friez. In the years that followed she became closely associated with a group of artists known as the “les Montparnois”, and was particularly close to Pascin, Soutine, Kisling and De Chirico. During the mid-1930’s the artist grew close to and later married the noted art critic Francois Verna, editor of the Cailliers Jaune. At that time she stopped using her maiden name Germaine Marx and began signing her paintings Germaine Verna. With the threat of war in 1939 it became clear that Francois Verna, as an Italian national, faced likely internment should Mussolini wage war on France. The Vernas therefore moved to Switzerland. Ther they settled in the picturesque town of Ascona, a leading art colony of the period, on the Lago Maggiore not far from the Italian border. Here the Vernas made their home for the rest of their lives. During the Ascona years, from 1940 until Germaine Verna’s death in 1975, her paintings were devoted to two primary subjects; townscapes and landscapes of Ascona and its lyrical environs, portraits of the artist’s friends, acquaintances, domestics, and town characters. In the years after the war Verna’s paintings found their way into the collections of prominent museums and were widely exhibited in gallery shows in Paris, New York, Switzerland and elsewhere. Major Exhibitions: Paris, Groupe des Independents at the Salon d’ Automne; Paris, Galerie Drouant-David, 1952; Galerie André Weil, 1966; New York, Fine Arts Associates (Otto Gerson), 1953; Philadelphia, Coleman Art Gallery; London, Marlborough Gallery Ascona (Switzerland), Galleria AAA, 1971; Kaiserslautern (Germany), Pfalzgallerie, 1973 Publications: Verna by Maximillen Gauthier, published by: Les Gerneaux, Paris, 1953 Reveiws: Maximillien Grauthier, Les Nouvelles Litteraires, Paris, 26 June 1962; Robert Metadier, Carrefour, Paris, 18 June 1952; Jean Bouret, Arts, Paris, 26 June 1952; Pierre Descargues, Les Lettres Francaises, Paris 11 July 1952; Adolphe de Falairolle, Le Provencal, Avignon, 22 June 1952; Rene Domergue, L’Information, Paris, 21 June 1952; Georges Turpin, La Revue Moderne, Paris, 1 August 1952; Elsa Franconi Poretti, Corriere del Ticino, Lugano 17 July 1952; Efrem Masoni, Il Dovere, Lugano, 15 July 1952; Jean Chabanon, Le Peintre, Paris, 15 June 1952; Pierre Imbourg, Une Semaine de Paris, Paris, 18 June 1952; Eros Bellinelli, Libera Stampa, Milano, 29 July 1952

Price: 600 USD

Location: Kingston, New York

End Time: 2025-01-16T21:44:40.000Z

Shipping Cost: 65 USD