HENRI BERNARD GOETZ STILL LIFE SURREAL OIL PAINTING 1946

Henri Bernard Goetz
American, 1909-1989
Composition, 1946
Signed: Goetz 46
(lr); Original gallery label affixed to verso: J.C. Gallery 937 Third Ave. New York, NY – Signed: H. Goetz (in artist hand). Stock number: 132 55 – Titled: Obsession.
Oil on Masonite
18-1/8 x 21-3/8 inches
CONDITION REPORT: Very good to excellent condition; 99.5% original surface paint. Minor crazing throughout. Dirt & grime.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Housed in its original mid 20th century hand carved rustic colored wooden frame with medium sized cream colored wooden fillet.

PROVENANCE: A very similar motif is used in (Composition, 1944) which SOLD: Goxe, Belaisch, Hotel des Ventes d'Enghien 2/16/2014 Lot: 46, for $33,810.00 USD over a pre-sale estimate of $6630-9280 USD.

ARTIST BIO:
Henri Goetz was born in New York on September 29, 1902. He began drawing in his childhood; however often was frustrated with his drawing and believed his mother should beat him for his failure as an artist.

In 1927, Goetz when away to school in Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At MIT he studied to be and electrical engineer; however he took evening arts classes and spent summers dedicated to painting. He left MIT to enroll at Harvard University. Here he attending art history classes with the thought of becoming an museum curator. Goetz soon realized he wanted to be an artist while taking classes in Fogg Museum. He left Harvard the next year to attend the Grand Central School of Art in New York City. Using the money he earned as a golf caddy, Goetz traveled to Paris in July of 1930.

Spitting his time between schooling and studios, Goetz looked for somewhere to paint. He attended Academie Colarossi, Academie Julian and Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. He also frequented the Montparnasse Art Studio and the studio of Amedee Ozenfant. Goetz only stayed in Pairs two years; here he began painting portraiture and studying nude figures. When Goetz left Paris he had the intentions to collect his things in America and return to Paris permanently. Unfortunately, when he returned home his father was ill. Goetz spend the next year caring for his father. Goetz, then returned to Paris where he lived with other undiscovered artists.

At the Academie de la Grand Chaumiere, in September 1935, Goetz met the shy painter Christine Boumeester. She moved in with him just days later. They were married that same year. Goetz credits Christine to his early development of a more modern surrealist painting style. He met Victor Bauer, an Austrian artist, in 1934. Bauer taught Goetz of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault and others; many of whom he later became friends. Bauer also taught Goetz about Sigmund Freud, avant-garde poetry and music and left-wing politics. It was through Bauer that Goetz was able to have his first London show.

Exhibitions Include:
1936 Salon des Superindépendants
1937 Galerie Bonaparte on the rue Bonaparte in Paris (first solo exhibition)
1942 Jeanne Bucher Gallery in Paris with Christine Boumeester
1946 Breteau Gallery in Paris 10 ans de Peinture (10 Years of Painting)


Publishing's Include:
1945 Lithograph illustrations for book ''Explorations,'' published by Editions Vrille.
1948 The ''Nourritures terrestres'' publish an album of etchings by Goetz
1968 La Gravure au Carborundum (The Carborundum Etching) published by Maeght Gallery


Teachings Include:
1950-1955 Starts teaching painting at the Ranson Academy
1955-64 Runs painting courses at the Grande chaumiere Academy
1960-1964 Teaches in Notre-Dame des Champs, Raspail, Frechet and Malebranche academies and Fontainebleau Conservatoire and runs etching lessons in several Fine Arts schools
1965-1984 Opens his own academy Academie Goetz ??
1969 Painting and etching classes at the Universite de Vincennes


While living in Paris Goetz met many other artists like: Hans Hartung, Fernand Leger and Wassily Kandisky. With his wife, Goetz held his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Bonaparte in 1937. Both Goetz and Christine worked with the French Resistance during World War II. They primarily worked making forging identity documents. They also, along with Raoul Ubac, created the first surrealist publication, La Main a Plume. Goetz and his wife were forced to flee Paris to Cote d' Azur when Ubac was caught by German authorities. It was not until 1944, after the Liberation of Paris, Goetz and Christine were finally able to return to Paris. In 1949, the couple received their French nationality.

Christine became ill in 1968 and in 1971 she died in Paris. Soon after, Goetz was hospitalized for an illness and died in Nice on Augst 12, 1989 by suicide.

Very good to excellent condition; 99.5% original surface paint. Minor crazing throughout. Dirt & grime.