Le Louvre (Primary Title)
Albert Marquet, French, 1875 - 1947 (Artist)
Despite his enthusiasm for travel and maritime landscapes, Marquet remained a Parisian at heart, and his work exhibits his lifelong passion for his city. In this painting from his mature period, the artist captures a view of the Seine taken from the Quai Voltaire, on the city's left bank, across from the Louvre. Marquet orchestrates the imposing architecture of France's national museum, the greenery of the riverbanks, the solid structures of the bridges, and the dazzling blue sky into a symphony of vibrant colors. His extremely light application of paint using free and delicate gestures renders a fresh and exhilarating atmosphere, which characterizes Marquet's ongoing quest for compositional harmony. The artist also attempts to translate a feeling of contentment onto the canvas, an artistic aim he shared with Matisse, and one common to the pictorial experimentation of the Fauve movement generally.
Signed lower left: "Marquet"
Inscribed on back of canvas: "19 I / Le Louvre / mm"
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Martinet, Jean Claude., et al. Marquet: Catalogue De L'oeuvre Peint. Paris : Seuil : Wildenstein Institute ; Milano : Skira, 2001.
2019-2020: "Van Gogh Monet Degas, The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", Palazzo Zabarella, Padua, Italy, October 26, 2019 - March 1, 2020
2019-2021: Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Their Times: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN, February 2 - May 5, 2019; Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS, April 4, 2020 - January 10, 2021
2018-2019: "Van Gogh, Monet, Degas: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", The Frick Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, March 17 - July 15, 2018; Oklahoma Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, June 22 - September 22, 2019
1968: “French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon,” VMFA, April 4, 1967-June 5, 1968
1964: “Marquet,” Knoedler Gallery, New York, May 6-29, 1964, No. 42
1964: “Albert Marquet, peinture Française,” Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, 1964; Musée des Beaux Arts, Quebec, 1964; National Gallery, Ottawa, 1964
1962: “Albert Marquet,” Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam, 1962, No. 37
1957: “Exposition Albert Marquet,” Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, July 6-Sept. 25, 1957
2019-2021: Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Their Times: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN, February 2 - May 5, 2019; Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS, April 4, 2020 - January 10, 2021
2018-2019: "Van Gogh, Monet, Degas: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", The Frick Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, March 17 - July 15, 2018; Oklahoma Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, June 22 - September 22, 2019
1968: “French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon,” VMFA, April 4, 1967-June 5, 1968
1964: “Marquet,” Knoedler Gallery, New York, May 6-29, 1964, No. 42
1964: “Albert Marquet, peinture Française,” Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, 1964; Musée des Beaux Arts, Quebec, 1964; National Gallery, Ottawa, 1964
1962: “Albert Marquet,” Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam, 1962, No. 37
1957: “Exposition Albert Marquet,” Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, July 6-Sept. 25, 1957
©artist or artist’s estate
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
