'Dress Rehearsal at the Opera de Paris' by Yves Brayer (circa 1940s)

'Dress Rehearsal at the Opera de Paris', watercolour on art paper, by Yves Brayer (circa 1940s). When he was in Paris in 1942, Jacques Rouché appointed Brayer costume-and-set designer for a ballet at the Opera de Paris. While there in the 1940s, Brayer was fascinated by the dancers with whom he came into contact on a daily basis. He couldn't help but paint a chosen few of them - some in watercolour and others in oil. This is interesting as a subject as it depicts the ballet dancers readying themselves for a dress rehearsal. There are five dancers in this piece standing on the stage in front of the curtain. Three ballerinas and two male dancers dressed as saltimbanques. The painting is in good overall condition and is newly framed and glazed with anti-reflective glass. Signed: 'Yves Brayer' in the lower lefthand hand. Upon request a video of the piece will be provided.

About the Artist: Yves Brayer (1907-1990) stands among the most celebrated modern French painters. Although he was faithful to the figurative tradition, his ample métier was enriched by his personal vision. His oeuvre proved to be very diverse, for besides his well-known landscapes, he also painted vast canvases, portraits and still lifes. A lover of Mediterranean landscapes, Yves Brayer sojourned in Morocco, Spain and Italy before settling down in Provence. There he was enchanted by the diverse and architectural forms of the Alpilles mountains, and by the vast expanse of the Camargue region with its ubiquitous white horses and black bulls. From then on he spent several months each year working in Provence. He also travelled internationally where he was quick to grasp the unique rhythm and light of each country. When he was in Paris in 1942, Jacques Rouché appointed Brayer costume-and-set designer for a ballet at the Opera de Paris. 

Brayer passed away in Paris in 1990. A large collection of his paintings are on permanent display both at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cordes, France and at the Musée Yves Brayer in Les Baux de Provence, as well as many regional museums in his home country. In the United States, Yves Brayer's works form part of the collection of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, among others. 

Dimensions with frame:

H 57.5 cm / 22.6"

W 69.5 cm / 27.4"

Dimensions without frame:

H 40 cm / 15.7"

W 52.5 cm / 20.7"