JEAN DUPAS (1882-1964)

A dated project for this painting has been located and confirms its execution in 1937. It is the final preparatory painting for a mosaic executed by Dupas for the Pavillion du Textile at the 1937 Paris Exposition International. With this spectacular composition, Jean Dupas has returned in magnificent style to a theme first explored for the 1925 Exposition - the splendors of the French textile industry.
On the left, two young women display sumptuous fabrics; on the right are three figures - one holds a ball of wool; another bundles of cotton, and the third presents a design for a fabric. Two figures in the lower centre symbolize water and refer to the rivers and canals that flow through Northern France and allow the delivery of raw materials, the manufacture, and the export of finished goods. Above, a herald trumpeter instructs a messenger to broadcast the origins of these splendid textile products.
The compositional rhythm of these majestic figures, the rich palette that contrasts purples and pinks with delicate blues, and the monumental scale of this work explain the well-deserved reputation enjoyed by Jean Dupas.

This work will be included in the Jean Dupas catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Romain Lefebvre.