PROVENANCE:
Christie's New York, November 5, 1991, lot 230 Acquired from the above by the present owner

Jean Jansem was one of the few virtuosos who were able to perfectly instill the atmosphere of a painting into the three-dimensional expression of sculpture. Jansem's outstanding structural technique emphasizes the subject and simplifies the background in order to create an imagined quietude. Taking “Personnage sur un mur” as an example, the warm colors bestow a romantic tranquility upon the image, the arrangement of colors veiling the painting with a silent atmosphere as the people look off into the distance, with special attention given to the subtleties of the women’s expressions. The dyed outlines of the subjects perfectly express the various complex emotions of the spectators. The pale gr ay cement fence is tinged with a light blue. Though it blocks the crowd of spectators, it adds to the variety of the image. Looking at it from top to bottom, one can reconstruct the balance in its composition. When pursuing their intentions in portrait drawings, artists do not limit themselves to superficial appearances; instead, they try to elaborate upon the existence of the subject. Humor ous yet emotionally conservative, the expression of lighting on the subjects portrays the artist's attention towards them. The gentle romantic aura emitted by the women in the image leave an impression of elegant charm.