Fontainebleau Fine Art

FROMENT, Marceja (French, 19th C- 20th C) “Java Dancing Couple” – 1931

Signed and dated Marceja Froment 1931 (lower left)

Watercolor, pen and black ink over pencil drawing – very good condition

Some foxing due to a natural aging process

16 ½ x 10 in                 (42 x 25,5 cm)

23 x 16 ½ in   framed   (58,5 x 42 cm)

Beautiful, custom-made, hand-crafted, metal-leafed reversed French frame with black bevel and archival quality French mat

Very little is known about this artist except that only works on paper were found bearing her signature and that

remnants of gallery tags from Marseilles were found on the original framing material.

Nevertheless, her brilliant draftsmanship is evident in these three related watercolors.

They depict in a very realistic way the everyday life in shady bars which abounded in the bustling harbor of Marseilles in the 30’s.

During that period of “les années folles” (the crazy years) between the two world wars, life was still harsh for simple people. However, having recovered their “joie de vivre”, they were seeking all kind of readily available life’s little pleasures, often guilty ones: cigarettes, alcohol and racy dancing with far from timid girls!