Lot Essay
During the late 1920s Soutine alternated between painting still lifes and figures. Most often the portraits are of young boys in their work uniforms. In opposition to the carcass still lifes which were scandalous, these portraits were pleasing and brought him his first real prosperity.
Soutine generally chose anonymous figures as models. But
as much as his characters may become types, they never
give up their identities as particular people. Soutine's
insistence on the physical particularity of his subject,
together with this move towards more anonymous sitters,
demonstrates his resistance to completely losing himself
in the subjective aspects of the portrait experience.
The resistance to a complete union between painter and
model is also felt in the way Soutine's figures "pose"
before him and us, open to our penetrating scrutiny,
but somehow indifferent to the artist's presence.
(M. Tuchman, op. cit., pp. 509-510)
The first owner of the present painting was Marcellin and Madeleine Castaing. Over the years the Castaings acquired numerous works by Soutine and shortly after Portrait du garçon en bleu was executed Soutine realized three portraits of Madeleine Castaing (Tuchman, nos. 136, 137, 138). After reviewing their first meeting with Soutine, it is surprising that the Castaings collected his works and that the artist spent numerous summers at their Chateau at Lèves near Chartres:
Modigliani recommended his young friend from Smilovitch and told them [M. and Mme. Castaing] that he needed help.
Soutine was too shy to meet them indoors and gave them a rendezvous on the sidewalk in front of a café. There they found him pacing up and down, unprepossessing overwrought,
not at all friendly, with a canvas under his arm. M.
Castaing was impressed by his work, there under the streetlight, but wanted to come to the studio where there
might be a greater number of pictures to choose from, and offered him an advance of one hundred francs. Soutine
would have none of it; "You don't like my painting, you
only want to help me. If you had given me one franc for my picture I would have taken it." Then he stalked away by himself and the Castaings saw nothing more of him for many years. (exh. cat., Soutine, 1950, op. cit., pp. 38-39)
Soutine generally chose anonymous figures as models. But
as much as his characters may become types, they never
give up their identities as particular people. Soutine's
insistence on the physical particularity of his subject,
together with this move towards more anonymous sitters,
demonstrates his resistance to completely losing himself
in the subjective aspects of the portrait experience.
The resistance to a complete union between painter and
model is also felt in the way Soutine's figures "pose"
before him and us, open to our penetrating scrutiny,
but somehow indifferent to the artist's presence.
(M. Tuchman, op. cit., pp. 509-510)
The first owner of the present painting was Marcellin and Madeleine Castaing. Over the years the Castaings acquired numerous works by Soutine and shortly after Portrait du garçon en bleu was executed Soutine realized three portraits of Madeleine Castaing (Tuchman, nos. 136, 137, 138). After reviewing their first meeting with Soutine, it is surprising that the Castaings collected his works and that the artist spent numerous summers at their Chateau at Lèves near Chartres:
Modigliani recommended his young friend from Smilovitch and told them [M. and Mme. Castaing] that he needed help.
Soutine was too shy to meet them indoors and gave them a rendezvous on the sidewalk in front of a café. There they found him pacing up and down, unprepossessing overwrought,
not at all friendly, with a canvas under his arm. M.
Castaing was impressed by his work, there under the streetlight, but wanted to come to the studio where there
might be a greater number of pictures to choose from, and offered him an advance of one hundred francs. Soutine
would have none of it; "You don't like my painting, you
only want to help me. If you had given me one franc for my picture I would have taken it." Then he stalked away by himself and the Castaings saw nothing more of him for many years. (exh. cat., Soutine, 1950, op. cit., pp. 38-39)