This hall presents works by Charles Guerin (1875–1939), a fellow pupil of Matisse and Marquet at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. The paintings nearly all date from the first decade of the 20th century, the earliest being Lady with a Rose (1901), the latest Stroll (1911).
A number of works, including Musician, Expectation (both 1907) and Terrace (1909), convey the painter’s impressions of Rococo art, which is sometimes also reflected in the titles, as with Gallant Scene (circa 1908) and Walk in the Park (circa 1910).
But Young Girl with a Book (circa 1906) with its restrained, but exquisite colour scheme and the striking Nude (circa 1910; in Hall 422) are depictions of a specific model.
This artist’s manner of painting testifies to his seeking to use the decorative properties of colour.
