Albert Charles Dequene
Tetouani Man
Pastel on paper, signed and dated 1933 lower left, titled upper right
Image size: 23 x 18 inches (58.4 x 45.7 cm)
Handmade ebonised and gilded frame
Pacific Tahiti occupies a unique position in history with Europe's fascination with the island and its culture spanning from the late eighteenth century to the present.
In the drawing, the figure is adorned in a Hei, traditional Tahitian adornments such as the figures woven ti leaf crown.
The title "Tetouanoui," meaning testimonial, imbues the piece with a ceremonial significance as Dequene captures the moment in time.
Albert Charles Dequene
Dequene studied art in Lille where he was born and in Paris. A study grant allowed him to spend five months in French Sudan, Upper-Volta, French Guinea and Senegal in 1932. He exhibited his African oils and pastels at the Salon de Société Coloniale des Artistes Francaise in 1933. He visited Morocco and Madagascar in 1946 and 1953 respectively. His painting of the market in Fez is in the collection of the Musée d’Art et d’Industrie in Roubaix. From 1936 to 1962 he was a professor of painting and drawing in the same city. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were held in France in the 1990s