Lot 10: Leon Pourtau (1868-1897)

Au th‚ƒtre signed with initals 'L.P.' (lower right); signed, dated and stamped with signature 'L. Pourtau 94' (on the reverse) oil on panel 10 1/8 x 13 3/8 in. (25.7 x 34 cm.) PROVENANCE Gabriel Vallad (the artist's great-nephew). Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 22 February 1989, lot 1. Acquired at the above sale by the present owner. NOTES Pourtau was a muscian by profession and working towards a career as an artist in 1894 when the present work was painted. Largely self-taught, he adopted the principles and techniques of the Pointillists through his friendship and association with Georges Seurat. Pourtau left France in 1895 for Philadelphia to work as a musician. Upon his return to France, the artist was tragically killed at sea. Ironically, what remains most prominent in his concise oeuvre are seascapes imbued with warm colors and paysages of the French countryside.