Wind and Blue Sky (Primary Title)
Jean Lurçat, French, 1892 - 1966 (Artist)
Between the two world wars, Lurçat worked as a painter, draftsman, printmaker, and designer of textiles and tapestries. His diverse body of work displays a strong sense of color and abstract form and ranges from lyrical or dreamlike expressions to social and political commentaries. During the 1920s critics extolled Lurçat’s depopulated, mysterious landscapes for their balance of decorative subtlety and otherworldly poetry. This poignant image has no precise narrative. The motif is a grouping of objects that indicate a previous human presence. These remnants of civilization have been arranged into a cross shape, suggesting the sacrifice and pathos of a crucifixion.
Signed lower right corner: "Lurçat N Y 30"
T. Catesby Jones Collection
"Matisse, Picasso, and Modern Art in Paris: The T. Catesby Jones Collections at VMFA and the University of Virginia Art Museum," VMFA Statewide Exhibition, UVA, Charlottesville, January 30 - April 24, 2009; Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, August 15 - November 29, 2009; William King Regional Art Center, Abingdon, December 11, 2009 - February 21, 2010; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, May 1 - August 15, 2010
State Services Exhibition SP-12, July 1972 - May 1978
Washington & Lee University, January - March 1960
XX Century Gallery, Williamsburg, September 1960
"Modern French Painting," Norfolk Museum, March 1 - March 26, 1958; Mary Baldwin College, April 9 - April 19, 1958
Randolph-Macon Woman's College, 21 September - 26 October 1959
Lynchburg Art Center, February 27 - March 12, 1956
Mary Washington College, May 1953
Univeristy of Virginia, January 1953
Hollins College, December 1952
"Modern Works of Art," The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, November 19, 1934 - January 20, 1935
State Services Exhibition SP-12, July 1972 - May 1978
Washington & Lee University, January - March 1960
XX Century Gallery, Williamsburg, September 1960
"Modern French Painting," Norfolk Museum, March 1 - March 26, 1958; Mary Baldwin College, April 9 - April 19, 1958
Randolph-Macon Woman's College, 21 September - 26 October 1959
Lynchburg Art Center, February 27 - March 12, 1956
Mary Washington College, May 1953
Univeristy of Virginia, January 1953
Hollins College, December 1952
"Modern Works of Art," The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, November 19, 1934 - January 20, 1935
©artist or artist’s estate
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
