'Paris Metro Station Les Abesses Montmartre' by Roland Dubuc (circa 1960s)

'Paris Metro Station, Les Abesses, Montmartre', watercolour and gouache on art paper by Roland Dubuc (circa 1960s). When the Paris Metro system opened 116 years ago, Art Nouveau was at its peak. The entrances to stations were designed in Art Nouveau style by Hector Guimard. Eighty-six of his entrances are still in existence. These have become iconic symbols of Paris although originally the style caused some surprise and controversy in 1900. There are two main variants in style: Those with elaborate glass canopies (two originals still exist including this one at Metro Abbesses) and those with cast-iron balustrades decorated in plant-like motifs accompanied by a Métropolitain sign supported by two orange globes atop ornate cast-iron supports in the form of plant stems. This artwork by Dubuc is a delightful depiction of that station which serves also as a love letter to the city and tribute to this incredibly original style. The signed artwork is framed and glazed in very good overall condition. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. It is stunning! Upon request a video of the piece may be provided. 

About the Artist: Roland DuBuc (1924-1998), French artist, the sixth of 13 children and son of a construction worker. The very precariousness of the family's financial situation forced him to go to work at the age of 14. In extreme poverty, he moved to Rouen where he was lodged by the Salvation Army. During that time he struck up friendships with several artists who gave him advice and taught him techniques of drawing. He moved to other cities later where he met painters including, among others, Fred Pailhès (whose works have been sold by this gallery). In 1950 DuBuc moved to Montmartre in a miserable building without water or electricity. His work gained support from galleries after his participation in the 'Great and Young Artists Fair' in Paris. But it wasn't until the mid-1970s during his stay in Switzerland that he started to earn a comfortable living. Upon return to Paris in the 1980s, his oldest collector, Jean-Paul Villain, opened a gallery which featured DuBuc's work in an important a series of exhibitions. These sealed his reputation as a fine artist and gained him an international clientele eager to invest in his works. DuBuc died in his workshop in 1998. 

Dimensions with frame:

H 67 cm / 26.4"

W 82 cm / 32.3"

Dimensions without frame:

H 48 cm / 18.9"

W 63 cm / 24.8"