Charbonnier: Child With Birdcage, Poetic 1946 French Surrealist

Some artists are painters' painters - highly appreciated by their peers - but here we have something still rare: at poets' painter. Pierre Charbonnier (1897-1978) was already described as such in 1928. Andr Salmon, the poet, art critic and one of the earliest defenders of cubism, describes Pierre Charbonnier as "rimbaudian". The writer elucidates that Charbonnier's love for poetry, made him seek out, and associate with poets from the youngest age. He became friends with, among others, Ren Crevel, Tristan Tzara, Max Jacob, Jacques Prvert, Blaise Cendrars and Ren Char. Charbonnier exhibited at the Salon des Tuileries from 1929.

Pierre Charbonnier's creativity also led him to be an early cinematographer, creating decors and shooting short films from 1930 onwards. Notably, her worked with Robert Bresson and Jean Aurenche.

The painting presented here is a rare oil on canvas from 1946, the end of the war. It features the artist's signature colour azure blue - much praised by Andr Salmon - and depicts a child with a birdcage. With a surrealist quality to it, the composition is modern, raw, poetic and lyrical all at once.

Our painting is unsigned, but titled and dated by the artist on the verso. It comes directly from the artist's estate.

The painting has repair to the back and a a structured irregular surface with touch ups that are likely corrections by the artist's own hand, give the provenance. Measuring 46 x 61 cm; it is framed in a superb frame by master framers Delf. The overall framed size is 67 x 82 cm.