Figures on a Street in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France

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Figures on a Street in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France

Randolph Schwabe (1885-1948)

Price

£1,750

Signed

Signed and inscribed 'Moustiers Ste Marie'

Medium

Ink and watercolour

Dimensions

10 ¼ x 13 ½ inches

Provenance

The Estate of Randolph Schwabe

Exhibited

'A Century of British Art: 1900-1945', Chris Beetles Gallery, London, June-July 2021, No 116

Plate mounted

Randolph Schwabe holidayed with his family in the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Provence, on a number of occasions. He made several drawings of the place, being attracted by ‘such a combination of mountain scenery and architectural features’ (as he was quoted as saying in C Geoffrey Holme and G S Sandilands, Artists’ Country, London: The Studio, 1932, page 98).

A friend of the Schwabes, Laura Millicent Russell, always known as ‘Russell’, lived mainly in Moustiers for many years, until 1941. The Schwabes not only saw her while they were there, but also combined their stays with visits to other friends living in France. These included Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, who, between 1923 and 1927, were based in and around Port-Vendres, on the Mediterranean coast, close to the border with Spain.

Schwabe exhibited his drawings of Moustiers in London and internationally. The international exhibitions included the solo show, ‘Exposicion de Obras de Randolph Schwabe en el Museo Nacional de arte Moderno’, which was held in Madrid in 1935, and featured three views of Moustiers. Their inclusion suggests that Schwabe considered his drawings of Moustiers to comprise an important and characteristic element of his output.
With thanks to Gill Clarke for her help in the compilation of this note.