The unnamed piece from the 'Smoke over the Rooftops' series, was discovered on the flip side of Léger's Bastille Day.
skyline towards Notre-Dame, laboring over the smoking chimneys. Only seven works from the series were previously known to exist. was gifted by Léger to his friend Marc Duchene on his wedding day. Duchene died in World War I and the family, bereft with his loss, found it too painful to display the painting. It remained hidden in their private collection, unknown to art historians, until 1999, when Duchene’s heirs sold it to Dutch Triton Collection Foundation.
Founded by shipping magnate Willem Cordia, the foundation has a collection rich in modern art. It includes works Monet, Picasso, and van Gogh. , which has been exhibited extensively, is still owned by the foundation. Now, the piece on its reverse is, too. It was obvious there had been restoration work done on the back of the canvas, but conservators believed whatever had been painted there was damaged beyond salvation. In 2016, the owners asked Gwendolyn Boeve-Jones, director of the Hague-based Studio Redivivus, who had previously expressed interest in unraveling the painting’s enigma, to take a closer look anyway.
She carefully removed the thick, gluey backboard. Advanced imaging techniques revealed distinct forms of billowing smoke, a spiky skyline, and the chimney. Most striking were its stylistic bridges to the later works in the series—the hidden work had hints of the colorful, abstract elements that overtook Léger’s heavier atmosphere.
“It’s not just that the painting was covered up, that’s interesting to a degree—but what we’ve found is the role that this must have played in his journey,” Boeve-Jones said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This New Bulletproof Armored SUV Can Shoot Pepper Spray and Make Its Own Smoke ScreenThe futuristic brute is based on the current Cadillac Escalade.
Read more »
Smoke 'so mad' at NASCAR even as Stewart-Haas drops 1 appealWith his team still appealing $200,000 in fines and allegations from NASCAR that Stewart-Haas Racing manipulated the finish of NASCAR's most recent playoff race, co-owner Tony Stewart opted to not discuss that Wednesday.
Read more »
Smoke and warm sunshine to end the weekA persistent ridge of high pressure will stick around through the weekend bringing warm temperatures and hazy sunshine to the Puget Sound area. FOX13
Read more »
SAPD, Crime Stoppers seek suspect in robbery at NW Side smoke shopSan Antonio Police are searching for the person responsible for a robbery of a Smokerz Paradize store on the city’s Northwest side.
Read more »
House fires burn hotter, faster than decades ago. Here’s how to protect your family.Thanks to smoke detectors and better building codes, the numbers of house fires are down significantly. But, fires that do happen are deadlier.
Read more »