Description
Signed, inscribed and dated 'Lefévre 1928,' oil on canvas
Dimensions
66cm x 76cm (26in x 30in)
Footnote
Provenance: The Robertson Collection
Exhibited: Arts Council of Great Britain - Scottish Committee, J.D.Fergusson Memorial Exhibition 1961/62 no.95
Despite the endless entertainment and stimulating artistic company and opportunities in Paris, by 1913, Fergusson was looking for something new, 'I had grown tired of the north of France; I wanted more sun, more colour; I wanted to go south.' The South of France became a place to which he and his partner, the dancer Margaret Morris, returned again and again for long, luxurious summers. Together they held strong views on the importance of leading a healthy outdoor lifestyle in a warm, sunny environment. So Morris hosted her summer schools while Fergusson sketched the dancers and bathers that would become recurring subjects in sun-dappled works like The Picnic, with its Cezanne-inspired brushwork and chalky white tones conveying the strong heat and bright sunshine.