Gen Paul (French, 1895-1975), "La Lecture", 1927, oil on canvas, signed lower right, signed, titled and dated en verso, 29 in. x 36 1/4 in., framed. Note: Born Eugène Paul, Gen Paul was born in Montmartre and began his artistic pursuits early in life. Upon the outbreak of World War I, Paul joined the French Army and subsequently was seriously wounded. While recovering from a leg amputation, Paul returned to his childhood passion of painting. Drawing inspiration from his surroundings and the vibrant art community in Montmartre, Paul developed his own signature expressionist style alongside contemporaries such as Juan Gris, Utrillo and Jean Dufy. Fascinated with jazz, Paul traveled throughout the United States, including a stay in New Orleans, to discover the subjects that would appear in his paintings. Paul's use of gestural brushstrokes lent a strong sense of motion to his work, resulting in art historians naming him the first action painter and a precursor to the abstract expressionists. Between 1925 and 1929, Paul produced many of his best works, and the canvas offered here from 1927 exemplifies Paul's most desired period with a strong diagonal composition, flat areas of color juxtaposed next to expressionistic brushstrokes and a strong sense of dynamism. Ref.: "Gen Paul 1895-1975)." Findlay Galleries. www.findlaygalleries.com. Accessed July 27, 2020

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