Kees van Dongen (Dutch, 1877-1968) - 'Marcelle Leoni', Color Lithograph, 1959

Name: Kees van Dongen (Dutch, 1877-1968) - 'Marcelle Leoni', Color Lithograph, 1959
Brand: Lizzeny
Availability: LimitedAvailability

Color lithograph by Kees van Dongen titled 'Marcelle Leoni', showing a woman with large dark eyes, framed and hanging on a blue wall. - view 1

1/3

Estimated value

$7,000 - $12,000

Rarity

Uncommon(5/10)

Type

Museum Object

KEES VAN DONGEN (DUTCH, 1877-1968) - 'MARCELLE LEONI', COLOR LITHOGRAPH, 1959: ORIGINS & SIGNIFICANCE

This is a fine color lithograph of 'Marcelle Leoni', one of Kees van Dongen's most iconic subjects. The composition is classic Van Dongen: the subject confronts the viewer with enormous, kohl-rimmed eyes, a stylistic hallmark that came to define the Parisian 'garçonne' of the 1920s. Though created in 1959, late in his career, the work retains the expressive potency of his Fauvist origins through the audacious simplification of form and the melancholic blue-grey palette, punctuated by the vivid red of the lips. The handling is confident, translating his painterly style into the layered medium of lithography with masterful effect.

GRAPHIC ECHOES

Where This Object Echoes

Fauvismc. 1905-1908

The print's expressive, non-naturalistic use of form and color directly stems from Van Dongen's central role in the Fauvist movement of the early 20th century.

Art Decoc. 1920-1939

The subject matter, a stylized and fashionable 'garçonne', is an iconic motif of the Art Deco period, a style Van Dongen's portraiture helped define.

German Expressionismc. 1910-1920s

The emphasis on psychological mood and the use of large, haunting eyes find parallels in the portraiture of German Expressionists like Alexej von Jawlensky.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

•Gallery exhibition and the collecting of Modern Master prints.
•The use of portraiture to capture and define the zeitgeist of an era.

Meaning Through Time

1920s

As a painting, the subject symbolized the modern, liberated Parisian woman—the 'garçonne'.

1959

As a lithograph, the image became a nostalgic reflection by an established master on an iconic moment from his past.

Present Day

The work is now viewed as a classic, 'blue-chip' example of European Modernism, a staple of the fine art market.

PRINT LINEAGE

Kees van Dongen, though Dutch by birth, was a pivotal figure in the Parisian avant-garde and a leading member of the Fauvist movement alongside Matisse and Derain. The Fauves were notorious for their use of intense, non-naturalistic color. This print revisits a subject, the actress Marcelle Léoni, who fascinated Van Dongen decades earlier and became an emblem of the Roaring Twenties. Created at the legendary Atelier Mourlot in Paris, this work is part of a celebrated post-war revival of artist's lithography, where masters like Picasso and Chagall also produced major print editions. It represents a mature artist reflecting on the themes that first brought him fame.

PRESS SECRETS

Van Dongen was known as the 'painter of the Roaring Twenties,' and his portraits of women with huge, dark eyes came to define the era's fashionable 'garçonne' look.

This print was made at the legendary Mourlot Frères studio in Paris, where masters like Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall also created some of their most famous lithographs.

HOW SCARCE IS IT?

Uncommon70-80%

CommonLegendary

Genuine antiques with fewer examples on the market. Named makers, documented provenance, or early production examples.

Typical Characteristics

Limited production
Named makers
Growing collector demand

Confidence Factors

The work is well-documented in the artist's catalogue raisonné (Juffermans JL 30).
The style and subject are highly characteristic of Kees van Dongen's oeuvre.
It was printed by the renowned Atelier Mourlot, a mark of quality and period authenticity.
The visible pencil signature is consistent in placement and style with authentic examples.

How does authenticity detection work?

PRINT SPECIALIST'S TAKE

Museum-Trained Art Historian

Connoisseur

Confidence is high because all visual information aligns with the extensive and verifiable details provided on the gallery label, including the artist's name, title, medium, printer, and a specific catalogue raisonné number.

KEY EVIDENCE

1The visible pencil signature 'van Dongen' is stylistically correct for the artist.
2The adjacent gallery label provides the catalogue raisonné number, Juffermans JL 30, which is the definitive scholarly reference for his prints.
3The subject, 'Marcelle Leoni', is a well-known and highly characteristic theme in Van Dongen's work.
4The style is entirely consistent with Van Dongen's later work, retaining his Fauvist roots.
5The label identifies the printer as 'Mourlot', the premier lithography workshop in Paris at the time.

UNCERTAINTIES

•The retail price of €14,000 listed on the label is at the highest end of the market and significantly above recent auction results, which is typical for a gallery setting.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

→Carefully examine the work out of its frame to check for markings on the verso, including the edition number (e.g., '123/500').
→Inspect the full sheet margins for any condition issues not visible within the mat opening.
→Use a loupe to examine the quality of the pencil signature and the characteristic texture of a stone lithograph.

CONDITION & GRADE

Condition

From what is visible through the glass, the print appears to be in very good to excellent condition. The colors are fresh and there is no apparent acid burn from the mat (toning) or spotting (foxing). A full condition assessment would require removing it from the frame.

Surface

The surface is characteristic of a high-quality lithograph on heavy wove paper, likely Arches as the label suggests. The ink appears to sit on the paper with a matte, velvety texture, and one can discern the successive layering of colors, particularly in the cool greys and blues of the background.