60
Tony Fomison 'A Warning To France Whose Roofs Will Melt But Hardly With Love'
Estimate:
$150,000 - $200,000
Sold
$150,000
Live Auction
190 Important Paintings & Contemporary Art
ARTIST
Tony Fomison
Category
Description
Tony Fomison
A Warning To France Whose Roofs Will Melt But Hardly With Love
oil on canvas laid onto board, 1976
original letter signed by the artist affixed verso which reads: "Dear Mr. Tim Francis, I’m glad to hear that you have committed yourself to the painting, ‘A warning to France...’ You wonder what my reference is to in the lettering: whether it’s an historical reference from the Napoleonic days, or whether it’s imaginary.. The painting may be a work of the imagination, but its message is not. The words are my own. The ‘action’ takes place at a Punch & Judy booth; its spectator looking towards the viewer of the painting, is La Belle France. Punch may not have worn a bird-crested hat, but other commediadell’arte-related protagonists, such as the Jester, have certainly been shown as wearing such a hat. But this is not the central reference of the crested hat, which is particular to the Napoleon-period cuirassier and dragoon helmet, and like the wooden sword replacing Punch’s stick, pertains to current French military policy...but this does not forget that the court Jester as well as Punch, carried a stick/baton; and that Punch’s particular function was often an advisory one, albeit advice masked with acceptable wit. Yours sincerely, Tony Fomison".
350 x 614mm
Reference
Ian Wedde, Fomison: What shall we tell them? (City Gallery, Wellington, 1994), supplementary Cat. No. 17
Provenance
Collection of Tim and Sherrah Francis, Wellington. Purchased from Barry Lett Galleries, July 30 1976.
Private collection, Wellington.
A Warning To France Whose Roofs Will Melt But Hardly With Love
oil on canvas laid onto board, 1976
original letter signed by the artist affixed verso which reads: "Dear Mr. Tim Francis, I’m glad to hear that you have committed yourself to the painting, ‘A warning to France...’ You wonder what my reference is to in the lettering: whether it’s an historical reference from the Napoleonic days, or whether it’s imaginary.. The painting may be a work of the imagination, but its message is not. The words are my own. The ‘action’ takes place at a Punch & Judy booth; its spectator looking towards the viewer of the painting, is La Belle France. Punch may not have worn a bird-crested hat, but other commediadell’arte-related protagonists, such as the Jester, have certainly been shown as wearing such a hat. But this is not the central reference of the crested hat, which is particular to the Napoleon-period cuirassier and dragoon helmet, and like the wooden sword replacing Punch’s stick, pertains to current French military policy...but this does not forget that the court Jester as well as Punch, carried a stick/baton; and that Punch’s particular function was often an advisory one, albeit advice masked with acceptable wit. Yours sincerely, Tony Fomison".
350 x 614mm
Reference
Ian Wedde, Fomison: What shall we tell them? (City Gallery, Wellington, 1994), supplementary Cat. No. 17
Provenance
Collection of Tim and Sherrah Francis, Wellington. Purchased from Barry Lett Galleries, July 30 1976.
Private collection, Wellington.
