During its Modern and Contemporary Art auction, PIASA will present a series of works by Jean Puy.
Born into a family of industrialists in Roanne, Jean Puy studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, before entering the studio of Tony Tollet. In 1898, he moved to Paris, where he worked in Eugène Carrière's atelier.
In Paris he met Derain, Marquet and Matisse, with whom he maintained a close friendship. Between 1899 and 1905, the group sometimes even worked on joint projects. From 1900 he began to exhibit at the Salon des Indépendants and from 1904 at the Salon d'Automne.
Alternating between Paris, the Roanne region, the South of France and Brittany, which he discovered on the advice of Matisse, he let himself be invaded by the diversity of landscapes and light, elements conducive to an in-depth study of the subject. His love for nature made it a favourite subject that he kept throughout his life. This theme is reflected in his depiction of landscapes, but also in his still lifes, as shown by one of the works on offer here, Nature morte avec cruche et pinceaux (Lot 13).
Nature morte avec cruche et pinceaux, circa 1932
At the Salon d'Automne in 1905, alongside Matisse, he gained a certain notoriety against a backdrop of scandal: an unprecedented use of colour, a simplification of line and form, bringing him closer to the revolutionary movement of the time: the Fauves. This characteristic use of colour, combined with a variety of strokes in the treatment of the background, can be seen in the oil on canvas Nature morte au homard (Lot 6).
Nature morte au homard, circa 1906
After this exhibition, Ambroise Vollard took a close interest in his work and bought a large part of his collection. Represented for a time by the famous dealer, he held a series of solo and group exhibitions around the world (Moscow in 1908, New York and Chicago in 1913). Lot 7, Église de la Ferté-Milon, was part of his collection.
Eglise de La Ferté-Milon, 1919
He finally settled in Roanne until his death. Sensitive to the landscapes of his childhood, they are at the centre of his work, just like the Breton landscapes that have never left him.
His works are now part of the collections of great French and European museums: the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Musée du Petit Palais in Geneva and the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
