Émile Bellet (1941–2022) - Músicos

Color serigraphy — “Musicians”

Probable author: Émile Bellet (1941–2022)
Signature: “Bellet”, handwritten in pencil in the bottom right corner
Country: France
Era: second half of the 20th century, probably the 1980s–1990s
Technique: color serigraphy on paper
Edition: 45/295, pencil-inscribed in the bottom left corner
Framed dimensions: 44 × 54 cm
Composition dimensions: 23.5 × 33.5 cm
Style to select: Expressionist
Secondary framing: modern figurative with Fauvist influence

Identification of the signature - After detailed examination of the enlargements, the signature reads very likely “Bellet,” and not “Faucher” or “Fauchère.” The shape of the initial “B,” the two central vertical strokes corresponding to “ll,” and the ascending ending are compatible with the signature used by the French painter and printmaker Émile Bellet.

The attribution is also coherent with: the palette dominated by reds, salmon, orange, and black; the figures built by quick black contours; the expressive simplification of the faces; the musical theme present in Bellet’s graphic production; the existence of numerous signed and numbered prints by the artist.

Émile Bellet was born in Provence in 1941 and died in 2022. He was a self-taught artist associated with a figurative language with a strong chromatic component, often described as close to Fauvism. He produced paintings, lithographs, and serigraphs, including compositions dedicated to music and female figures. Park West Gallery and Artprice document his biography and regular presence on the international market.

Artistic description - Horizontal composition depicting a small group of musicians during a performance or rehearsal. On the left is the keyboard of a piano and the related score; in the center and to the right appear string players, including two violinists, partially overlapped.

The musicians are defined by a loose black linear drawing, deliberately free, over color patches with irregular contours. The instruments, treated in red and intense orange, constitute the main visual focal points. The coral background functions as a unifying chromatic field, while the black outfits of the performers create a dynamic diagonal structure.

The absence of facial details and the fragmentation of forms shift the portrait from the individual to the collective sense of musical performance. The contrast between the graphic gesture, the color patches, and the rhythm of the diagonals seeks to visually translate the movement of the bows and the sonic intensity.

Conservation status: intact sheet, no tears; signature and numbering preserved and visible; decorative wood frame with gold frieze, showing minor signs of wear and occasional flaws; verso closed with aged cardboard, without visible gallery label or certificate.