"Sunny Courtyard" Marcel Jefferys (1872-1924) Oil on canvas cm 90 x 100

Certificate of Authenticity. Marcel Jefferys (Milan 1872 – Ixelles 1924) "Sunny Courtyard" Oil on canvas (cm 90 x 100) (cm 110 x 120 with frame) Signed and sealed lower right: Marcel Jefferys The painting, dating back to 1905, was exhibited at the annual Salon "Les Indépendants Cercle d’Art" in Brussels from August 5th to 29th of the same year. (Cf. Catalog card n°4) From February 23rd to March 17th, 1929, the painting was again exhibited and published as part of a solo exhibition of Marcel Jefferys held at the "Palais des Beaux-Arts" in Brussels . (see Exhibition catalog by Robert Bendère, Les Editions d’Art Jos Vermaut) Impressionist painter and watercolorist of cityscapes, portraits, landscapes, seascapes and still lifes. Marcel Jeffery was born in Milan on August 9, 1872 and died in Ixelles on May 14, 1924. In 1880, he moved with his family to Brussels where he was a student of Henriette and Alfred Ronner. Jefferys visited the Netherlands, Italy (Venice and Florence) and France where he discovered Impressionist painting. In 1893, he took a trip to the United States. Upon his return, the works of this "American Tour" were exhibited at the "Salon de l’Art Belge" in Geneva in 1894. In the decade 1890-1900, imbued with the painting of P. Cézanne, C. Monet, C. Pissarro and especially J. Ensor, he became one of the most important luminist painters in Belgium. "Les peintres luministes" was the title chosen by the art historian François Maret for his essay on Impressionist painters of Belgium. (1944) No other Belgian painter managed to interpret the joyful, spontaneous, changing and light spirit of Impressionist painting so well. In 1912, he stayed in Versailles and then in Paris. During the First World War he moved to London where he was influenced by Turner and Whistler.The paintings made in the English capital were presented by the prestigious gallery "Georges Giroux" in 1920. From 1892, Jefferys participated in numerous exhibitions in Belgium, in particular those of the "Société Artistique et Littéraire de Bruxelles", of the circle "Les Indépendants Cercle d’Art" (1905,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913) of the group "Art Contemporain" (1921,1925). In the introduction to the catalog of the "La Libre Esthétique" exhibition, a Belgian avant-garde artistic association (February - March 1905) regarding the feeling aroused by the works of Marcel Jefferys, they wrote: "A l’expression de la réalité objective, on substitue l’idéal d’un poème optique de clarté et d’harmonie, on veut émouvoir au moyen d’impressions subjectives par les jeux de la lumière qui devient la chose principale" At the "La Libre Esthétique" exhibition in 1912 Jefferys exhibited his "Théâtre des Singes" alongside the works of Georges Lemmen, Willem Paerels and Pierre Bonnard. Also in Belgium he exhibited at the "Salon de Liège, at the "Exposition Universelle de Gand" (1913), at the "Exposition Générale des Beaux-Arts /Salon Triennale" in Brussels (1914). Abroad he exhibited In Paris, from 1902 to 1922, at the Salon of the "Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts" (of which he was also a member) “Vieux domaine” (1902) and “Fin d’été” (1903); at the "Salon des Artistes Français"; at the "Salon des Indépendants" (Jardin des Tuileries-Serres de l’Orangerie) in 1908: "Brouillard doré", "Au Pays Wallon", "Frais matin","Soleil voilé", in 1909: "Au parc de Bruxelles" and "Neige". In Venice: At the International Art Exhibition of the city of Venice in 1912, 1920, 1928 and 1930. (see list of works exhibited in the annex) In Bordeaux, Monaco, Berlin, Glasgow, Brighton, Prague, Hamburg. (see attached list) Paul Colin wrote: "Jefferys who delighted in the interpretation of atmosphere, sought the subtleness of colours, the ephemeral fragility of the effects of sun,the attraction of scarcely discernible landscapes , which each one completes according to his dreams. » Retrospective at the Georges Giroux Gallery in 1913 and at the "Palais des Beaux-Arts" in Brussels in 1929 where the painting described here was exhibited. Description: The work described here depicts the courtyard of the house of Georges Morren, a close friend of the artist, where on the right a child can barely be seen, probably Jack (1896-1961), the son of Marcel Jefferys. The painting dates back to 1905, the year in which Jefferys painted his masterpiece "La Fête des ballons", a gigantic work (cm 215x170) kept at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. (see photo attached) Although in this painting Jefferys describes an intimate and silent atmosphere that is part of his private life, around 1905, the artist, strongly attracted by popular festivals, public gardens and music halls crowded with people, often represented such spectacles of contemporary life. The absolute protagonist of this delightful garden is the light of which Jefferys translates every variation and reflection following the emotion he feels at that precise moment. A changing impression that he tries to fix on the canvas "replacing the objective reality of the scene with an optical poem of light and harmony" (O.Maus) The illuminated path that starts from the important brown gate, initially leads the observer's eye to the green cart with the lively red interior, to the rocking horse with always red wheels and to the chair placed next to the tree. Then the gaze slips to the right where little Jack, who almost blends in with the white of the wall, seems to prefer the large immaculate surface in front of him to his toys, perhaps for the desire to paint it in an attempt to emulate his father's deeds. Works in the following museums: Brussels: Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts de Belgique: "Vue de la Seine au Pont-Royal", "Fête des ballons"; Liège: "Museum of Fine Arts: "Préparatifs de fête"; Ghent and Ixelles. Bibliography: E.Bénézit «Dictionnaire des peintres,sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs» Ed.Grund vol.6( p.57 ) P.& V. Berko and Norbert Hostyn “Seascapes of belgian painters born between 1750 & 1875" Ed. Laconti (p.85) Paul Piron “PIRON: Dictionnaire des Artistes Plasticiens de Belgique des XIX et XX siècles” Ed. Art in Belgium (p.764) Andrée Dessert -Corvol “ARTO: Dictionnaire Biographique Arts Plastiques en Belgique” (pp. 207-208-209) Paul Piron "Deux siècles de signatures d'artistes de Belgique" Ed. Art in Belgium (p.340) Serge Goyens de Heusch "L'impressionisme et le fauvisme en Belgique" Fonds Mercator Albin Michel (pp.221,266,268,271,272,273,302,355,457) G.Schurr & P.Cabanne «Dictionnaire des petits maîtres de la peinture» Les Editions de l’Amateur (p.401) Robert de Bendère «Marcel Jefferys» Les Editions d’Art JOS VERMAUT Paris,Bruxelles,Courtrai. Condition: Excellent