Henri Le Sidaner (1862-1939)

Sold with a certificate of authenticty from Mr. Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, dated Paris, le 4 avril 2008. This work will be included in the supplement to the catalogue raisonné Le Sidaner - L'oeuvre peint et gravé being prepared by Mr. Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner.

This brooding nocturnal portrait of Bruges belongs amongst Henri Le Sidaner's most celebrated works. Inspired in part by the poetic evocation of the decaying medieval city in Georges Rodenbach's novel Bruges-la-Morte, Le Sidaner travelled to Bruges in July 1898, where he was immediately prompted to create a series of symbolically charged and atmospheric paintings. Le Sidaner's extended visit signalled a departure from his earlier interest in landscapes populated by groups of figures, leading him to focus on the mysterious and ominous effects of the twilight on the city's deserted streets.