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| detail from the S. S. Normandie's famous glass mural |
Jean Dupas (1882-1964) was one of the great masters of the Art Deco movement. Art Deco has sometimes been described as a bridge between Art Nouveau and later 20th-century modern art, and yet I've always associated Jean Dupas' work as having strong roots in Neo-classicism. Perhaps that's why I like it so much.
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| christies.com |
Here is a study for a large mural that Dupas painted, entitled
La Gloire de Bordeaux, and below is a more refined study of the figure on the left.
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| christies.com |
A fine example of Dupas' style, the anatomy is exaggerated and the limbs are delineated with a volume that suggests that the figure is monumental.
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| Louise Herbert, pictify.com |
That same sense of volume is carried through in this profile drawing. While we see strands of hair, they are nonetheless represented by a form that borders on Cubism, and as we look at that cheekbone and the chin, we can easily imagine that Dupas envisioned complete globes.
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| Mlle. Marguerite Grain, 1923 | christies.com |
Certain themes reappear in the art of Jean Dupas. In the portrait above and in the poster detail below, eyes are almond-shaped, necks are elongated, thumbs and forefingers come together, hair is piled high, and pairs of (large) hummingbirds add to the composition.
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| wikipaintings.org |
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| diataart.com |
Dupas' landscapes are also comprised of stylized volumes, with the limbs of trees exaggerated in the same manner as the limbs of the human figures. I've noticed that Dupas often used a palette of reds and vibrant greens.
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| ltmuseum.co.uk | christies.com |
Above are two illustrations Jean Dupas painted, of the Thames River and Hyde Park. Just as he was prone to create fantastic piled-high hairstyles, his trees were usually soaring columns of foliage. One almost expects to see Jack and the beanstalk amid the elegant 20th-century society.
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| christies.com |
Jean Dupas admitted that he was never happier than when he worked on a large scale. His most famous project was a collaboration with the glass master Champigneulle, 400+ square meters of gold and silver entitled The History of Navigation. Above is an image in two panels that appears to be a study for the final mural. It was sold by Christie's in 2012. The estimated value was $100,000, but it sold for $578,500.
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| metmuseum.org |
And here is Jean Dupas' 1934 mural for the S. S. Normandie's grand salon as it is currently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Normandie sailed for only four years (1935-1939). To read about its short history and sad demise, go here..
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