Oil on canvas

205 x 160 cm. 80 3/4 x 63 in.

Signed in French on bottom right； titled and signed in French， dated on stretch
LITERATURE
2014, André Brasilier, Opera Gallery, Geneva, P.11

EXHIBITED
28 Mar – 10 Apr 2014, André Brasilier, Opera Gallery, Geneva

PROVENANCE
Opera Gallery, Hong Kong
Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by Certificate of Authenticity issued by Opera Gallery, Hong Kong

The Return of the Rider
The Dreamlike Horses of André Brasilier
André Brasilier was born in Saumur, France, in 1929. André's father, Jacques Brasilier, was one of the founders of Symbolism in the French literary world at the beginning of the 20th century. André's mother, Alice Brasilier, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London. Growing up in an artistic family, André had a sensitive and rich inner world from an early age and quickly developed a strong interest in painting. At the age of 20, he successfully entered the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In addition to receiving a scholarship from the school for his outstanding artistic achievements, he was also awarded the Prix de Rome at the age of 23 and thereafter went to Rome to further his studies. In 1959, he settled in Paris. Over the course of more than 60 years, Brasilier has held over 100 solo exhibitions in 20 countries across the globe. Due to his remarkable artistic achievements, touring exhibitions featuring his works have been organized around the world since 1980. In 2005, a retrospective exhibition of his paintings was held at the Winter Palace in Russia. In 2007, another large-scale retrospective exhibition of Brasilier's works was held at Museum Ludwig in Germany. He has since become one of the most prominent artists on the French contemporary art scene. With respect to style, he often draws inspiration from the natural world around him. He uses oil paints to depict animals and other elements of nature, creating an expressive effect that is as soft as watercolors. The romantic and simple atmospheres portrayed in his works also convey a quiet, detached state of mind.
Brasilier is particularly fond of depicting horses galloping on plains or open terrain. Unlike most artists, who focus on portraying the heroic bearing of the horse itself, Brasilier simply uses dark brushstrokes to delineate the horses' contours. The work currently being auctioned, Grands cavaliers du soir （“Riders in the Night”）, is arguably the artist's most representative work.
Dreamlike Steeds In the Night
In Brasilier's 2014 work Grands cavaliers du soir, the artist depicts a herd of galloping horses. The painting is partitioned by its rich colors. In the distance, pinkish clouds hang in the sky； whereas in the foreground, one sees what appears to be a vast deep blue and brown beach, across from which lies a dense blue-hued forest. The artist's use of surreal colors makes it impossible for the observer to distinguish between dream and reality. In the night, the riders gallop along the beach. The dim glow of dusk penetrates the tapered lines of the thick forest, illuminating the canvas while adding a hint of mystery to the atmosphere. Beneath the pink sunset, a herd of 10 galloping horses, with their tails drifting in the wind, are spurred on by the riders.
A Memorable Scene of Youth
In fact, the setting depicted in Grands cavaliers du soir does not derive purely from the artist's imagination. According to records, on the beaches in the Camargue region near Brasilier's birthplace （Saumur）, such a scene can indeed be witnessed. The region is famous for breeding white Camargue horses. These Camargue horses, guided by their riders, can often be seen galloping along the beach. This has become one of the most famous and spectacular sights in the region. In Brasilier's works, the horse not only highlights a kind of dynamic beauty, but it is moreover a metaphor of the lost years of the artist's youth. His brush captures this majestic sight from his adolescence, thus revealing his true feelings about time, memory, and life.
An Intoxicating Breeze and Oriental Sentiments
Brasilier believes that his creative style was inspired by the literary works of François Cheng — a Chinese-born French writer and member of the Académie française. In his poetry and writing, Cheng uses the collision between his Eastern worldview and his experience in the West to reveal Westerners' interpretation of traditional Oriental culture while also profoundly reflecting the Taoist philosophy of China. In other words, Cheng does not emphasize so-called “formal” power, but instead depicts the “inner state of things”. This idea profoundly influenced Brasilier. As a result, he does not achieve victory through the use of strong, eye-catching images, but rather by using flexible, fluid colors to create a watercolor-like expressiveness. In doing so, he breaks through the traditional boundaries of oil paintings. His works transcend reality, using seemingly casual representations to reveal deep insight as good as a designer's.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,000,000 - 1,800,000
USD: 127,400 - 229,300

Auction Result:
HKD : --