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Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas
Sold by Skippings Fine Arts
sold SA933239
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
Skippings Fine Arts

Skippings Fine Arts

Sellingantiques Verified Since Feb 2018
Browse dealers 165 items
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    Modern french & continental pictures selected by a former french auction house expert
Id #SA933239
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Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas

1920 - 1940
Sold 7 November 2025 · Skippings Fine Arts
This “Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas” found a buyer.

It was listed by Skippings Fine Arts. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Description

I wish I could ask woman Lucienne Simon what led her to paint this extraordinary spiralling cubist cityscape. We see bridges and viaducts, a factory, a church with an impressive spire - and two female figures overlooking the scene from what appears to be a plateau.

Born 19 October 1905, in Paris, Lucienne Simon studied at a private school of decorative art in Paris in the 1920s. She was given a commission for twelve portraits by French milliners, which sound like great fun. She also held solo exhibitions of portraits and landscapes in Paris.

Our oil on canvas dates from circa 1940. The work is easy to date as Lucienne only added "Taugourdeau" - presumably her married name - to her signature in 1938. On the stretcher bars, her name is stil "Mademoiselle Simon".

The materials used are of its time: notably, it can be observed one of the wooden stretcher bars is warped, which creates a gap between the original frame and painting. You will forgive this quirk: it gives evidence of a troubled period in history, when things were even harder than they are now, and is part the artworks personality.

Measuring 54 x 65 cm for the canvas alone, the overall size in a late art deco frame with light wear and repair is 63 x 75.

Physical Dimensions
Height
54cm (21.26")
Width
65cm (25.59")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Declaration

Skippings Fine Arts has dated this Modernist City Oil Painting to the 1940s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA933239
Dealers Notes

Nous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.

Description
I wish I could ask woman Lucienne Simon what led her to paint this extraordinary spiralling cubist cityscape.
“
We see bridges and viaducts, a factory, a church with an impressive spire - and two female figures overlooking the scene from what appears to be a plateau.
Skippings Fine Arts
fig 1. An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame.
fig 1. Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas

Born 19 October 1905, in Paris, Lucienne Simon studied at a private school of decorative art in Paris in the 1920s. She was given a commission for twelve portraits by French milliners, which sound like great fun. She also held solo exhibitions of portraits and landscapes in Paris.

fig 2. An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame.
fig 2. Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas

Our oil on canvas dates from circa 1940. The work is easy to date as Lucienne only added "Taugourdeau" - presumably her married name - to her signature in 1938. On the stretcher bars, her name is stil "Mademoiselle Simon".

fig 3. An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame.
fig 3. Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas

The materials used are of its time: notably, it can be observed one of the wooden stretcher bars is warped, which creates a gap between the original frame and painting. You will forgive this quirk: it gives evidence of a troubled period in history, when things were even harder than they are now, and is part the artworks personality.

Measuring 54 x 65 cm for the canvas alone, the overall size in a late art deco frame with light wear and repair is 63 x 75.

Height
54cm (21.26")
Width
65cm (25.59")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Date of Manufacture

Skippings Fine Arts has dated this Modernist City Oil Painting to the 1940s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA933239
Skippings Fine Arts
Skippings Fine Arts
Sellingantiques verified Since Feb 2018

Modern french & continental pictures selected by a former french auction house expert

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Skippings Fine Arts Profile Page

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An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 7
Archive I An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Cubist Cityscape, Circa 1940 Figures Overlooking Spiralling City Modernist French Woman Artist Oil on Canvas

Archive II An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. View II
Archive III An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. View III
Archive IV An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. View IV
Archive V An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. View V
Archive VI An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. View VI
Archive VII An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame. View VII
Enlarged Archival View
Telephone 0747 257 2398
Location
Norfolk
United Kingdom

By appointment
Verified Since Feb 2018
Items For Sale 165
Items Sold 688
Skippings Fine Arts
Skippings Fine Arts
Verified Since Feb 2018
View Dealer Info
Location: Norfolk, United Kingdom, , By appointment
Verified
Feb 2018
For Sale
165
Sold
688
An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame.
Cubist cityscape, circa 1940 figures overlooking spiralling city modernist French woman artist oil on canvas
Ref: SA933239
An oil painting on canvas depicting a cubist cityscape with spiralling architecture and figures overlooking a river, set within an antique wooden frame.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
Archival Detail
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Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPaintings
  • Period1920 - 1940
  • StyleModernist
  • MaterialOil paint, canvas, wood
  • ColourMulticoloured
  • MotifsCubist geometry, Architectural curves, Figurative silhouettes
  • SizeH 54 cm (21 in) x W 65 cm (26 in) x D 1 cm (0 in)

Modernist and cubist art from the 1940s broke away from traditional perspective, fragmenting subjects into geometric planes and abstracting forms to emphasise two-dimensional flatness and structural composition.

Artists of this era typically used oil paints applied with brushes or palette knives onto stretched linen or canvas, often housed in period wooden frames with gilt or painted finishes.

Authenticity is evaluated through canvas age, stretcher frame construction, pigment analysis, artist signatures or stamps, and historical exhibition or provenance records.

This type of artwork serves as a strong focal point and pairs well with minimalist decor, neutral walls, and directional picture lighting to highlight its geometric forms and textures.

Preserve oil paintings by keeping them out of direct sunlight, maintaining stable indoor humidity and temperature levels, and dusting gently with a soft, dry brush without using liquid cleaners.
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