(Nancy 1886–1962 Paris)
The Purple Ribbon, signed J. Majorelle, oil on cardboard, 60 x 74 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection, Italy.

A certificate by Amélie Marcilhac, 16 September 2022 is available upon request.

Jacques Majorelle was the son of the art nouveau furniture designer Louis Majorelle (1859-1926). He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and later at the Académie Julian in Paris. He first exhibited at the Salon des Beaux Arts in 1908. In 1917 he travelled to Morocco, falling in love with the Islamic world and its traditions. He settled permanently in Marrakech. He drew inspiration from the local Moroccan tribes, their costumes and traditions.

His first exhibition was held in the hall of the Excelsior Hotel in Casablanca. Two years later he made his first trip to the southern part of the country. In 1922 he bought a palm grove in Marrakesh where he planted a luxuriant garden which would become the Jardins Majorelle. In 1931 he built a Cubist villa designed by the architect Paul Sinoir, inspired by Le Corbusier. The first floor was his main residence while the ground floor was a studio for his works. In 1937, he painted the villa in a vibrant blue, which he had developed after being inspired by the blue tiles prevalent in southern Morocco. This colour was used extensively in Majorelle’s house and garden, and now carries his name, Majorelle Blue.

By the mid-1930s, Majorelle depicted the human figure, and the nude in particular. He was fascinated by the beauty of the young models representing them in natural and sensual poses such as the present lot. In an interview in 1934 Majorelle stated: ‘I want to dedicate myself now to the study of the human characters of this country not just to draw them and paint them, but to represent them’.