József Rippl-Rónai (Hungarian 1861-1927)
Man in a Pointed Hat, probably a Self-Portrait, 1905
£37,700
Auction: 27 October 2023 from 11:00 BST
Description
signed and dated (upper left), and stamped Látta / Kladta (to reverse of back board), oil on cardboard
Dimensions
65.6cm x 49cm (25 7/8in x 19 1/4in)
Provenance
Provenance
Private Collection, London.
It has been suggested that this work could possibly be 'Self-Portrait in a Pointed Hat', which would correspond to a work exhibited by the artist in 1906.
The current work bears an exhibition label numbered 431 to the reverse of its backboard, and was possibly exhibited as part of a one-man exhibition in Kaposvár, the artist's home town, in either 1905, 1913 or 1920.
Footnote
‘The Hungarian Nabi’: József Rippl-Rónai (1861–1927)
Rippl-Rónai returned to Hungary in 1902 and the current work dates from this early period back in his homeland, but continues to bear the impression of the Nabis, with a gentle intimacy and a fondness for decoration. Possibly a self-portrait, the painting is dated to 1905 and communicates his interest in materials and clothing. He believed that not only was the artist’s full body of work of importance, but also his public persona and mode of living, including the way he dressed. Rippl-Rónai’s Post-Impressionist tendencies, including his use of two-dimensional representation and contouring, continues with this portrait, as well as his playful use of a painting within a painting motif, a technique that can be seen in a number of his important works.