Maurice Utrillo

Heffel Auction House Biography and Notes

This work is of Maurice Utrillo's best-known subject, the neighbourhood of Montmartre in Paris. It features the distinctive Basilica of Sacré-Coeur on the left and the well-known windmill building Moulin de la Galette on the right. Also, this particular view substantially resembles a circa 1948 work entitled Le maquis de Montmartre, sold at auction in New York in 2012. Utrillo was born in Montmartre, a vibrant district known for its nightclubs, cafes and artist studios, to painter and artist's model Suzanne Valadon. Valadon gave Utrillo artistic instruction, and, upon embarking on his life as an artist, he set up his studio in Montmartre - as had other well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Vincent van Gogh, to name a few. Near the turn of the century, Paris was a hotbed of artistic ferment, and Utrillo was part of a group of Post-Impressionist avant-garde artists interested in contemporary art and literature named Les Nabis, who were influential in the 1890s. Utrillo's art dealer Louis Libaude declared, "Maurice Utrillo is the painter of Montmartre. Since Lupine, I believe no other artist has been able to render with such acute sensitivity the charm of this little provincial town, isolated on the summit of Paris. Utrillo excels in painting the cracked walls of the old houses. The smallest...façade takes on in his paintings an extraordinary intensity of colour and life." The original photo certificate is signed by Paul Pétridès and is included with this painting. This work was presented to Messrs. Fabris and Paillier.