Rouen (1956)
Photo: Paul Carter      
© Richard Eurich Paintings

Rouen

1956

Oil on canvas
51 x 61 cm

Private Collection, UK


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Recto: Signed and dated lower left: R. Eurich. ‘56.

Aka: Rouen; Rouen I [Redfern]; Rouen 1956 [RA]; Rouen, 1956 [NEAC]; Rouen Resurgent, 1956 [RE sales diary 1958]

France Rouen architecture archway building cathedral churches cities city cloud construction crane festival flags red sky stone wall topographical view urban urban landscape

In 1956 Richard was commissioned to do a painting to commemorate the re-dedication of the Rouen Cathedral after a major rebuilding project. The cathedral had been badly damaged in two Allied bombing raids during the D-Day push into Normandy in the WW2.

Records about the commission itself and the works which came out of it are incomplete. Richard seems to have painted at least four Rouen pictures, but it is proving difficult to unpick which ones were exhibited when because the titles of most of the works were changed from one show to the next and the picture dimensions are …

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In 1956 Richard was commissioned to do a painting to commemorate the re-dedication of the Rouen Cathedral after a major rebuilding project. The cathedral had been badly damaged in two Allied bombing raids during the D-Day push into Normandy in the WW2.

Records about the commission itself and the works which came out of it are incomplete. Richard seems to have painted at least four Rouen pictures, but it is proving difficult to unpick which ones were exhibited when because the titles of most of the works were changed from one show to the next and the picture dimensions are not always quoted. None of them seem to have been delivered to the client and we do not know who the client was.

The four works we know of are:

Provenance

EXHIBITED | 4th May to 18th Aug 1957

"Summer Exhibition 1957" - Royal Academy of Arts, London

Cat 312; shown as "Rouen, 1956"; attribution uncertain. See Note.

NOTE | 1957

Richard records this work as 'Rouen Resurgent 1956' in his sales diary, so it could be a candidate for Cat 46 in the same show (Rouen Resurgent, 1956). But a Redfern label verso titles it 'Rouen 1956' too so for now we have attributed it to Cat 312.

EXHIBITED | 5th Aug to 25th Sep 1958

"Summer Show 1958" - Redfern Gallery, London

Cat 73; shown as 'Rouen', priced at 150gns

EXHIBITED | 1st to 24th Oct 1958

"Richard Eurich, Derek Middleton, Maurice Utrillo" - Redfern Gallery, London

Cat 16; shown as Rouen I. Attribution uncertain. Two of the Rouen pictures shown were simply titled Rouen I and Rouen II. We have no clues which of three candidates should be attributed to which. See Note.

NOTE | 1958

We do not think that Rouen I and Rouen II are new pictures. We suspect these are the same works shown before with different titles, not the first time we have come across this practice.

EXHIBITED | 1958

"Painting Now" - Tyrrell and Green, Southampton

ACQUIRED | 1958

bought by the John Lewis Partnership for £150

AUCTIONED | 21st Nov 2001

"20th Century Art", Sotheby's, Olympia, London

offered for sale, and then withdrawn, lot 89, illustrated

IN COLLECTION | 2015

Private Collection, UK

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Provenance:

  • ACQUIRED - 1958 - bought by the John Lewis Partnership for £150
  • AUCTIONED - 21st Nov 2001 - "20th Century Art", Sotheby's, Olympia, London
    offered for sale, and then withdrawn, lot 89, illustrated
  • IN COLLECTION - 2015 - Private Collection, UK

Exhibitions:

  • 4th May to 18th Aug 1957 - "Summer Exhibition 1957", Royal Academy of Arts, London
    Cat 312; shown as "Rouen, 1956"; attribution uncertain. See Note.
  • 5th Aug to 25th Sep 1958 - "Summer Show 1958", Redfern Gallery, London
    Cat 73; shown as 'Rouen', priced at 150gns
  • 1st to 24th Oct 1958 - "Richard Eurich, Derek Middleton, Maurice Utrillo", Redfern Gallery, London
    Cat 16; shown as Rouen I. Attribution uncertain. Two of the Rouen pictures shown were simply titled Rouen I and Rouen II. We have no clues which of three candidates should be attributed to which. See Note.
  • 1958 - "Painting Now", Tyrrell and Green, Southampton

Notes:

  • 1957 - NOTE
    Richard records this work as 'Rouen Resurgent 1956' in his sales diary, so it could be a candidate for Cat 46 in the same show (Rouen Resurgent, 1956). But a Redfern label verso titles it 'Rouen 1956' too so for now we have attributed it to Cat 312.
  • 1958 - NOTE
    We do not think that Rouen I and Rouen II are new pictures. We suspect these are the same works shown before with different titles, not the first time we have come across this practice.

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