Jules Pascin (1885 Vidin Bulgaria-1930 Paris)Oriental village scene Watercolour and graphite pencil on paper Signed at bottom Sight size: 16 × 22 cm The product of a rich international career, Jules Pascin - born Julius Mordecai Pincas in Vidin, Bulgaria - was an essential but unclassifiable figure of artistic modernity at the beginning of the 20th century. Nicknamed "the Prince of Montparnasse", he shared the affinities and nights of the artists of the École de Paris, without ever allowing himself to be confined to one school or style. After first gaining recognition in Berlin, he moved to Paris, where he became a subtle chronicler of the social fringes and human sensuality. Although he has often been associated with Expressionism, Fauvism or the Jewish School of Paris alongside Chagall or Modigliani, Pascin's work remains profoundly free, shot through with tender humour and great psychological acuity. The work presented here, Oriental Village Scene, is emblematic of Pascin's North African period. The artist visited Algeria and Tunisia several times between 1921 and 1926, finding in these lands a renewed source of inspiration. These journeys nurtured a more contemplative eye, bathed in light and warmth. From the important collection of Georges Couturat, an influential patron and dealer in artistic Paris, this work also bears witness to the network of friends and supporters that surrounded Pascin throughout his career.