Utrillo, Maurice (1883-1955)
Rue à Sannois (Street in Sannois)
c.1912
Oil on canvas, 54 x 81 cm
Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Maurice Utrillo is known for his depictions of Paris and its outskirts, in which figures are often incidental or completely absent. This view shows a street in Sannois, a village about 16 kilometres north of Paris where he spent time being treated for alcoholism. The painting belongs to the artist’s ‘white period’, during which he became fascinated by white buildings, even adding plaster to his oil paint to achieve their texture and tone. Utrillo chose not to varnish this work, ensuring that it retained a matte, chalky quality akin to the houses he depicted. (Courtauld)