A triptych by Henri Rapin for Strasbourg

5/11/24 - Acquisition - Strasbourg, Musée d’Art moderne et contemporain - Here is a work that is seductive at first glance, with its triptych composition seemingly set in this superb setting and which seems to embody "the blue line of the Vosges". In the centre, we can see Mount Saint-Odile dominating the Alsace plain, but it is the forest that covers most of the triptych, in large masses and through the often frail silhouettes of trees that seem to spring out of the frame in the foreground. Bathed in a soft light that is more morning than evening, the work is enhanced by touches of gold that add a precious touch to what is ultimately a very simple composition. Finally, the artist has signed the lower right-hand corner in gold letters: H. Rapin.

1. Henri Rapin (1873-1939)
The Mont Saint-Odile, 1925
Pastel, watercolour and gouache on paper - 80 x 170 cm
Strasbourg, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCS)
Photo: Galerie Malibran

See the image in its page

Reappearing on the cover of a Brittany auction catalogue in the summer of 2023, the work was acquired by gallery owner Jean Rideau, a former auctioneer at Christie’s in Paris who set up his own business two years ago and recognised this triptych (ill. 1) as a preparatory work for a décor created for the famous 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, as his online notice explains. Rapin’s name is naturally inextricably linked with the legendary event, whose centenary was celebrated in advance with an exhibition at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine in 2013-2014 (see article), but it also evokes the important work of the decorator and designer who trained as a painter.
A versatile genius, this protean artist trained in Jean-Léon Gérôme’s studio before leaving his name to several forms of creation at Sèvres, where he was artistic advisor between 1920 and 1934. Ranging from vase to wall sconse, these pieces of furniture can be found alongside…