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DESCRIPTION:
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In France, the Fourteenth of July symbolizes the end of the Monarchy and the establishment of the First Republic. It became the national holiday in 1880 and originally refers to the French Revolution, commemorating the fall of the Bastille in 1789. During the previous two years, the national holiday was celebrated on the Thirtieth of June. During the festivities, cities were richly decorated with flags. Immediately afterwards, the Exposition Universelle took place in Paris, starting on the first of May. These days had a strong appeal to Impressionist painters for the joyful atmosphere and colourful effect of the many flags. One of the artists was Claude Monet who in 1878 painted La rue Montorgueil and La rue Saint-Denis. Monet: ‘I liked the flags. The first Thirtieth of June national holiday, I was walking with the tools of my trade in the Rue Montorgueil; the street was bedecked with flags and there were huge crowds; I spotted a balcony, asked if I could paint from it. I could.’ Elsewhere in Paris, in the Rue Mosnier, Monet’s colleague, Edouard Manet, was feverishly working on two canvases as well. Later on, the Fourteenth of July inspired Albert Marquet and Raoul Dufy equally. Also during Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, a kind of carnival held in one of the early months of the year, the whole capital is decorated with flags. André’s painting brings across perfectly well the exuberant and gay effect of the colours that still has such a profound impact on France’s inhabitants. Moreover, the warm light is that of the South of France and turns the picture into an image of happiness.
Albert André received initial training in his native Lyon. Here, he also began his artistic career designing patterns for silk, the city’s main industry. In 1889 he moved to Paris where he attended the Académie Julian. There he met Louis Valtat, Paul Ranson, Georges D’Espagnat and Henri Bataille. When Renoir saw André’s paintings for the first time at the 1894 Salon des Indépendants, he was so impressed that he recommended him to the dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. The two artists stayed close friends until Renoir’s death in 1919. As a tribute to his friend, André published two monographs on the Renoir’s work, among which L’Atelier de Renoir (1931). Being a member of the Salon d’Automne, André exhibited there regularly from 1904 to 1944. He also presented his work at the Salon des Tuileries in 1923 and 1924. In 1926 his work was shown in New York and in 1924, in Buenos Aires. In 1918 he took up the post of curator at the museum of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Fondation Léon Alègre. As a curator, he acquired an important collection of modern art, including works by his friends and contemporaries Vallotton, Maufra, Angrand, van Rysselberghe, d’Espagnat, Bonnard, Vuillard and Matisse. André spent the rest of his life dividing his time between his museum duties, writing and painting.
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