'The Banana Plantation Guadeloupe II' by Robert Humblot (1959)

'The Banana Plantation Guadeloupe II', oil on canvas, by Robert Humblot (1959). The second in a series of artworks completed in 1959 when the artist visited French Guadeloupe. He painted several colourful pieces depicting workers on the island which were later used in the Maison Nicolas annual fine wine catalogue (see 'Provenance' below). In this particular painting, the dark, lush green of the plantation discharges the colourful parade of workers towards the sunlight and the artist's palette. Two beautiful young ladies carry banana bunches with elegance and poise defying the arduous nature of the work. A little known fact is that the banana is the most popular fruit in the world with over $10B a year spent on the fruit globally. After rice, wheat and maize, bananas are the world's fourth most important crop in terms of ensuring food security in dozens of countries in the developing world. 

This artwork is in good overall condition and has been newly framed with a French-style linen slip. The artist signed the work in the lower right: 'Humblot'. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video may be provided.

Provenance: From the Nicolas Family collection. Louis Nicolas founded Maison Nicolas in 1822 and has the distinction of being the first wine retailer in France. As a celebration of 100 years in business, Maison Nicolas created an advertising campaign using a logo for their company. A frail deliveryman with a moustache and wide eyes loaded with bottles in each hand was the Maison Nicolas logo. Between 1922 and 1975, some of the most famous French illustrators competed to reinvent this character. Maison Nicolas' owners commissioned artists to illustrate the annual catalogues providing a synergy between wine and art. Because of the fine art used in the content of their annual catalogues, they are highly collected and valuable. In 1960 Robert Humblot painted several works "Under the sign of the French West Indies" for the annual luxury catalog or list of the great wines of the Nicolas house. This original work was printed on page 7 of the 1960 catalogue.

About the Artist: Robert Humblot (1907-1962) was born in Fontenay-sous-Bois, France. He began by studying natural sciences, which he left at the age of 23 to enter the Académie de Peinture la Grande-Chaumière, but then was accepted at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts  in Paris. Under the impetus of the art critic, Henri Héraut, in 1935 he joined forces with several other artists to found the Movement called Forces Nouvelles which advocated a return to drawing and the return to the professional tradition which advocated a deep connection with nature. His painting has the peculiarity of being tinged with humour. Through his nudes, landscapes, still lifes and portraits, Humblot wanted to convey his ideas of what the world should be. Humblot's paintings started to sell in the 1950s and continue selling to this day. He visited the West Indies in 1959 which provides allows us to date this painting from that era. His artworks appear in museums throughout Europe and from time to time are available for bidding at the major continental auction houses. 

Dimensions with frame:

H 37.2 cm / 14.6"

W 31.5 cm / 12.4"

Dimensions without frame:

H 25 cm / 9.8"

W 19.5 cm / 7.7"