AUTHOUART par Authouart

AUTHOUART by AUTHOUART

Cliquer sur cette lithographie fait apparaître l'album décrivant le contenu du livre "Authouart par Authouart" (éditions Lecerf, 1989).

Désolé, certaines photos sont légèrement floues.

La THUNDERBIRD

The name of this lithography is "La THUNDERBIRD". Size of the printed surface is 74 cm x 58 cm (white borders excluded). I purchased this piece of art in 1986 or 87 from Daniel Authouart. Its number is 17/175. It was designed by Authouart upon an original oil on canvas painted in 1986.

This picture tells a love story of the 1950s. A wife or perhaps a girlfriend is sadly saying goodbye as her husband or lover flies off to some far away place.The plane is the legendary DC-3, the first profit generating trans-world airliner and a great part of aviation history. In her autobiography, Lauren Bacall tells a story of when she and Humphrey Bogart ordered a Thunderbird the very first day they rolled off the production line. Immediately they called their friends, movie stars and the like, to tell them to "come right over and see our beautiful new Thunderbird" and everyone answered: "We already bought one, too!". The model for the woman in this piece is Authouart's wife.
Note the car's licence plate "AD1943" standing for "Authouart Daniel born 1943, and the plane's ID "BG1950" where "G" standing for the initial of his wife Geneviève born 1950.

Quand des avions traversent les toiles d'Authouart, ils pointent leur nez à travers ses souvenirs lointains depuis longtemps enfouis, ou parfois à travers des pensées proches et encore vivantes. Avant tout, ils encouragent le spectateur à faire décoller son imagination.
When airplanes sometimes cross Authouart's paintings, they point their noise through his remote and long-buried memories, or sometimes close and still vivid souvenirs. Above all, they encourage the onlooker's imagination to take off.

Le PRIVE et la MUSTANG

The name of this lithography is "Le Privé et la MUSTANG". Size of the printed surface are 74 cm x 58 cm (white borders excluded). I purchased this pece in 1988 from Daniel Authouart. Its number is II/XXXV "E.A" (épreuve d'artiste).
It was designed by Authouart upon an original oil on canvas painted in 1983.

Again, here's an American Dreamcar, the Ford MUSTANG. Here again, the artist set up his scenery on a beach, just at the shore. The car looks abandonned. The private Detective, legendary character of the thrillers in the 50's wears a rain coat and sun glasses. The woman in the car could be either the corpse... or the beautiful pinup who soon will succomb to the hero's charm.
In the background, typical seaside resort cabins can be seen... Here too, houses look delapidated. The detective seems to be the unique living thing. Look at the licence plate which carries the initials of Daniel Authouart; here too, the artist has put himself in the picture.

La MERCEDES du CASINO

The name of this lithography is "La MERCEDES du CASINO". Dimensions of the printed surface are 74 cm x 58 cm, (white borders excluded). I purchased in 1987 it from Daniel Authouart. Its number is 21/175.

"I've been painting and drawing cars for as long as I can remember - just as Gericault spent his whole life painting horses. Each to his own time" (Authouart's notes in "AUTHOUART", 1989, ISBN 2-901342-01-9)

Again, this scenery includes a mixture of seashore and car. This could be in Deauville (Normandie) close to Authouart's home town. The theme of movies is more difficult to find, but there could be an allusion to Deauville's festival.

DOLCE VITA

The name of this lithography is "DOLCE VITA". Dimensions of the printed surface are 74 cm x 58 cm, (white borders excluded). I purchased it directly from Daniel Authouart in 1986. It has number 20/175.

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The title recalls Federico Fellini's 1959 master piece (see the clap with Fellini and his film's names on it). The car is Italian for once, and not American as to remind the origin of this type of film. On the back right, one of the two men could be the Italien Maestro. Italien atmosphere also emphasized by the presence of dressed-up characters in front of the movie theater, the harlequin, the character with tricorned hat, the trumpetist on the scaffoldings... There is also a religious procession and on the back right, a small venitian orchestra. Also, one can notice a race cyclist who could be Fausto Copi, the famous Italian racer. Moreover, an italien soldier (in a brown shirt) reminds the dark period of Mussolini and fascism.

La JAG

This lithography is inspired from "La JAG" (oil on canvas 130x162 cm painted in 1984). I purchased it directly from Daniel Authouart in 1985. It has number 166/175.

The topic here is a private detective with a superb car, the "JAG" with an equally superb girl.
In every such film, there must be a "femme fatale". Daniel represented the driver with Humphrey Bogart's face. The newspaper is also showing his face with his name in the film. It is actually a tribute to this actor who died on Jan. 7th, 1957. The newspapaer's headlines is a metaphore to inform about his death and the licence plate as well shows the "H" and the year of his deaath. Some typical objects of detectives are ercognizable like the typewriter, the gun and the bottle of whisky. The idea of death is even emphasized by the ace of spades. Lauren Bacall, sex symbol, is obviously easily recognizable.

Une CADILLAC pour MARILYN

This lithography is inspired from "Une cadillac pour Marylin" (oil on canvas 130x162 cm painted in 1982). I bought it from Daniel Authouart in 1984 (I believe). It has number 2/175.

Daniel Authouart fills this artwork with small details related to the chosen theme: The car licence plate carries the date when Marilyn died, the actress chair with her name, the television on the right with her face. Then smaller details like this newspaper article whose title is 'the strange death of Marylin Monroe'.
The painting featuers as well a blond woman who looks like the actress. She walks to the sea, as to disappear and only objects remain that were her properties. All these objects as well as the car, a symbolic Cadillac of the 50's are offered to the ebb and tide flow, to the time that flies, as well as the overwhelming vegetation that commes out of the car's hood.