The Harlequin, 1918: Poignant Avant Grande Oil on Board

Painted in 1918, the year of Alfred Rigny’s return from the front lines of World War I, this work is a profound document of the post-war "Return to Order." Among the many artists who participated in the movement were notable figures in modernism such as Picasso and Braque, Matisse and many of the Italian Futurists.

Artists of the Return to Order placed high emphasis on the classical ideals of rationality, quality of line, illusionism and order, in opposition to the preceding decades of irrationality and emotional turbulence in modern art.

While the setting here is clearly the circus—complete with a golden ring and a sweeping red curtain—the subject is far from a simple entertainer.

Rigny (1887-1954) uses the Harlequin, the figure of the Commedia dell'arte, as a mirror for the human condition. In the wake of the Great War, the Harlequin’s mask became a powerful symbol for the "Lost Generation." He represents the duality of the survivor: the man required to "perform" and return to social normalcy while carrying the silent, heavy weight of his experiences. The Harlequin’s gaze and the muted, earthy tones of his face suggest a vulnerability that is deeply moving.

Born in New York, Alfred Rigny was an American who fully integrated into the Parisian avant-garde. His loyalty to his adopted home was absolute; he volunteered for the front during the Great War, and this 1918 canvas captures the very moment of his transition back to civilian life.

Rigny’s American origins later became a source of great personal trial. During the Second World War, his status as an American citizen led to his arrest and internment by the German authorities at the Compiègne-Royallieu camp.

Alfred Rigny exhibited at the prestigious Salon d'Autumne, where a retrospective exhibition of his work was held in 1956. According to the information on the verso of the painting, the present work featured in this show. Measuring 41 x 33 cm, our painting is signed and dated at the lower right. It is presented in a gorgeous, entirely hand carved and patinated "Montparnasse" frame with its typical aged "flaky" patina. The overall framed size is 62 x 53 cm.

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