ÉMILE OTHON FRIESZ (1879-1949) THE PORT OF TOULON, 1926 Oil on canvas Signed lower left; signed again, titled and dated on the reverse Oil on canvas; signed lower left; signed again, titled and dated on the reverse 65 X 81,5 CM - 25 5/8 X 32 1/8 IN. Madame Odile Aittouares has confirmed the authenticity of this work. A notice of inclusion in the second volume of the Catalogue Raisonné currently in preparation will be given to the buyer. "Friesz and his friends will no longer submit to the need, undisputed by the Impressionists and their followers, to imitate sunlight; it will suffice for them to obtain its equivalence; they believe in pictorial light, in coloured orchestration; to express a moving conception of the world, that is their aim, first and foremost, and no longer incidentally...". Maximilien Gauthier, Othon Friesz, Pierre Cailler, Geneva: 1957, pp. 48 and 149. This view of the port of Toulon, with its ochre, brown and blue tones, is emblematic of the work of the painter Émile Othon Friesz. Originally from Le Havre, the artist had a particular affection for the port scenes that punctuated his work. Throughout his career, he immortalised the ports of Le Havre, Antwerp, Dieppe and Toulon. In 1922, he made his first visit to Cap-Brun, near Toulon. Charmed by the peacefulness of the area, he bought a house there the following year. From 1926 onwards, he set up his studio in a fisherman's cottage in the port of Toulon, and for three years devoted himself tirelessly to capturing the atmosphere of the city's beating heart at the beginning of the 20th century. The oil on canvas Le port de Toulon, which captures the view of the port from the studio window, dates from this fertile period. It features the vibrant brushstrokes and light so characteristic of the artist. The effervescence of the port is brilliantly captured in the ripples of the water, the reflection of the buildings on the dock, the bustle of strollers and merchants on the quays, and the steam escaping from a chimney in the distance.