Signed
Size (inches) : 29 (h) x 24 (w)
Size (cm) : 73.6 (h) x 60.9 (w)
Frame Size (inches) : 37.5 (h) x 32.5 (w)
Frame Size (cm) : 95.2 (h) x 82.5 (w)
View on background colour: Dark Graphite
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Circa 1964
Provenance: Private Collection, Germany
Venard was intrigued by the Jesters and Entertainers of Paris's night life. He would frequent bars, comedy houses and taverns and take this inspiration back to his studio and paint these characters using bright, bold and vibrant techniques.
Claude Venard’s Jester is a compelling and theatrical composition that showcases the artist’s expressive approach to the human figure. Set against a richly textured brown ground punctuated with flashes of vivid orange and magenta, the angular figure of the jester emerges through a complex interplay of fragmented form, linear structure, and gestural paint application. The result is a work charged with tension, movement, and dramatic presence.
Venard constructs the figure through sharp geometric planes and incised outlines, lending the jester an almost sculptural quality. The exaggerated costume, pointed hat, and elongated instrument evoke the tradition of the commedia dell’arte, while the fractured composition introduces a distinctly modernist sensibility. The limited but striking colour palette heightens the emotional intensity of the work, with the fiery accents animating the otherwise earthy and muted tones.
The heavily worked surface, rich with texture and layered pigment, reflects Venard’s fascination with materiality and expressive mark-making. In Jester, the artist transforms a traditional theatrical subject into a dynamic exploration of form and character, balancing humour, tension, and abstraction with remarkable sophistication. The painting stands as a powerful example of Venard’s ability to merge figurative imagery with the bold visual language of post-war French modernism.
"
Circa 1964
Provenance: Private Collection, Germany
Venard was intrigued by the Jesters and Entertainers of Paris's night life. He would frequent bars, comedy houses and taverns and take this inspiration back to his studio and paint these characters using bright, bold and vibrant techniques.
Claude Venard’s Jester is a compelling and theatrical composition that showcases the artist’s expressive approach to the human figure. Set against a richly textured brown ground punctuated with flashes of vivid orange and magenta, the angular figure of the jester emerges through a complex interplay of fragmented form, linear structure, and gestural paint application. The result is a work charged with tension, movement, and dramatic presence.
Venard constructs the figure through sharp geometric planes and incised outlines, lending the jester an almost sculptural quality. The exaggerated costume, pointed hat, and elongated instrument evoke the tradition of the commedia dell’arte, while the fractured composition introduces a distinctly modernist sensibility. The limited but striking colour palette heightens the emotional intensity of the work, with the fiery accents animating the otherwise earthy and muted tones.
The heavily worked surface, rich with texture and layered pigment, reflects Venard’s fascination with materiality and expressive mark-making. In Jester, the artist transforms a traditional theatrical subject into a dynamic exploration of form and character, balancing humour, tension, and abstraction with remarkable sophistication. The painting stands as a powerful example of Venard’s ability to merge figurative imagery with the bold visual language of post-war French modernism.
