Lucien LEVY-DHURMER (Algiers, 1865 - Le Vésinet, 1953) The gust of wind Pastel on laid paper, mounted on card Signed 'Levy-Dhurmer' lower right The gust, pastel on paper, signed, by L. Levy-Dhurmer 16.14 x 19.69 in. 41.0 x 50.0 cm Provenance: Gérard Lévy Collection ; Then by descent Exhibitions: Esthètes et Magiciens / Symbolistes des collections parisiennes, Paris, Musée Galliera, December 1970 - January 1971, cat. no. 84 "Bourrasque", reproduced [label on reverse]. French Symbolist Painters, London, Hayward Gallery, 7 June - 23 July 1972, Liverpool, Walker Arts Gallery, 9 August - 17 September 1972, cat. no. 114 : "The Gust of Wind (La bourrasque)", reproduced p. 69 [label on reverse] El Simbolismo en la Pintura Francesa, Madrid, Museo Espanol de Arte Contemporeano, October - November 1972, Barcelona, Museo de Arte Moderno, December 1972, cat. no. 97 p. 71: "Borrasca" [label verso]. Autour de Levy-Dhurmer / Visionnaires et Intimistes en 1900, Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, 3 March - 30 April 1973, cat. no. 66: "Bourrasque", reproduced p. 48 Art Nouveau Belgium / France, Houston, Rice Museum, 26 March - 27 June 1976, Chicago, Art Institute, 28 August - 31 October 1976, cat. no. 53: "La Bourrasque (The Gust of Wind)", reproduced p. 69 Les Symbolistes et Richard Wagner / Die Symbolisten und Richard Wagner, Berlin, Akademie der Künste, 15 August - 29 September 1991, Bruxelles, Maison du Spectacle - La Bellone, 7 October - 24 November 1991, reproduced p. 22: "La Bourrasque" [label on reverse]. Symbolism in Europe, Takamatsu (Japan), Municipal Museum of Fine Arts, 1 November - 8 December 1996, Tokyo (Japan), Bunkamura Museum of Fine Arts, 14 December 1996 - 9 February 1997, Himeji (Japan), Municipal Museum, 15 February - 30 March 1997, cat. no. 12: "La Bourrasque", reproduced p. 48 [label on reverse] Il Simbolismo da Moreau a Gauguin a Klimt, Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, 8 February - 20 May 2007, Roma, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, 7 June - 16 September 2007, cat. no. 40: "La burrasca", reproduced p. 158 [label on reverse] Les Massier: côté cour, côté jardin, Vallauris, Musée Magnelli - Musée de la Céramique, 4 July - 2 November 2009, reproduced p. 128 : "La Bourrasque / Gust of wind". Bibliography: Jullian, Philippe, "Lévy-Dhurmer, le symboliste le plus envoutant", Connaissance des arts, no. 253, March 1973, reproduced on p. 77: "Bourrasque". L'Estampille, n° 41, April 1973, reproduced p. 58: "La Bourrasque". Maison Française, n° 272, November 1973, reproduced p. 186: "La Bourrasque". After studying at the École Communale de Dessin et de Sculpture in Paris in 1879, Lucien Lévy made his debut at the Salon des Artistes français in 1882. From 1887 onwards, pastel became his preferred technique. Despite his first real successes, Lucien Lévy decided to leave Paris that same year and move to the Côte d'Azur to work at Clément Massier's ceramics factory in Golfe-Juan. He became artistic director in 1892 and presented earthenware under the name Lévy Dhurmer, a name he chose to distinguish himself from his many namesakes. Recognised as one of those who contributed to the creation of Art Nouveau and the revival of the art of pottery, the artist did not abandon his interest in painting and travelled to Italy. The art of the Renaissance, especially that of Vinci, left a deep impression on him and he decided to return to Paris in 1895 to devote himself entirely to painting and drawing. Gustave Moreau introduced him to George Rodenbach, whom he immortalised in an iconic portrait of literary symbolism. Capturing the violent effects of an autumn squall on a young girl's red hair, our pastel is part of a series of works on the same subject begun in the late 1890s, probably illustrating the different seasons. In fact, it can probably be linked to a painting of the same title exhibited by the artist in January 1896 during his retrospective at the Galerie Georges Petit (cat. no. 3), then at the Salon des Artistes français (cat. no. 1261) a few months later (fig. 1). Although the two works share the same general composition, with a female face in profile, her hair blowing in the wind, appearing against a background covered in autumn leaves, the spirit of the work differs somewhat in the emotions it conveys. Far from our serene, inward-looking face, the female figure in profile in the oil painting seems to be screaming, her mouth open and clenched in a more dramatic torment, akin to the screaming mask of an ancient Medusa. Fig. 1: Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, La bourrasque, circa 1896, oil on canvas, private collection. Lucien LEVY-DHURMER (Algiers, 1865 - Le Vésinet, 1953) 41.0 x 50.0 cm After studying at the École Communale de Dessin et de Sculpture in Paris in 1879, Lucien Lévy made his debut at the Salon des Artistes français in 1882. From 1887 onwards, pastel became his preferred technique. Despite his first real successes, Lucien Lévy decided to leave Paris that same year and move to the Côte d'Azur to work at Clément Massier's ceramics factory in Golfe-Juan. He became artistic director in 1892 and presented earthenware under the name Lévy Dhurmer, a name he chose to distinguish himself from his many namesakes. Recognised as one of those who contributed to the creation of Art Nouveau and the revival of the art of pottery, the artist did not abandon his interest in painting and travelled to Italy. The art of the Renaissance, especially that of Vinci, left a deep impression on him and he decided to return to Paris in 1895 to devote himself entirely to painting and drawing. Gustave Moreau introduced him to George Rodenbach, whom he immortalised in an iconic portrait of literary symbolism. Capturing the violent effects of an autumn squall on a young girl's red hair, our pastel is part of a series of works on the same subject begun in the late 1890s, probably illustrating the different seasons. In fact, it can probably be linked to a painting of the same title exhibited by the artist in January 1896 during his retrospective at the Galerie Georges Petit (cat. no. 3), then at the Salon des Artistes français (cat. no. 1261) a few months later (fig. 1). Although the two works share the same general composition, with a female face in profile, her hair blowing in the wind, appearing against a background covered in autumn leaves, the spirit of the work differs somewhat in the emotions it conveys. Far from our serene, inward-looking face, the female figure in profile in the oil painting seems to be screaming, her mouth open and clenched in a more dramatic torment, akin to the screaming mask of an ancient Medusa. Fig. 1: Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, La bourrasque, circa 1896, oil on canvas, private collection.