Deux tigres marchant en avant, tête à gauche, c. 1935
Oil on paper mounted on cardboard, signed lower left
43.50 x 53.50 cm
History:
Jouve was inspired by this painting to create the frontispiece for his biography written by Charles Terrasse and published in 1948. He will keep the spirit of the composition by adapting it to the format of the frontispiece and adding a jungle decor.
Provenance:
Purchased from the artist, transmitted by descent
Bibliography:
Félix Marcilhac, Paul Jouve peintre sculpteur animalier, Les éditions de l’Amateur, 2005, illustrated in full page on p. 257.
Exhibition history:
Paul Jouve, Comité des Rosati Picards, Hôtel du logis du Roy, Amiens, June 1935, n°7.
Paul Jouve, Musée de la France d'outre-mer, Paris, 16 April - 8 May 1955, n°4.
Certificate of authenticity issued by Dominique Suisse.
In this painting, Paul Jouve captures two tigers in motion, advancing with the same determination. The frontal composition and tight framing heighten the impression of power and control. The stripes of the felines, rendered with broad golden and brown strokes, sculpt their bodies and emphasize the restrained tension of their stride.
True to his method, Jouve relied on direct observation of animals in zoos or during his travels, achieving both anatomical accuracy and a sense of majesty. More than a simple animal scene, this work conveys the artist’s deep admiration for big cats, to which he lends an almost heroic monumentality.
It exemplifies the peak of his animal art: a unique blend of naturalist observation, sculptural rigor, and decorative stylization that made him one of the greatest masters of Art Deco.