Lot 2180 Dα

Henry de Groux was one of the most prominent representatives of Belgian art between Symolism and Art Nouveau. His monumental pastels are among his best works. Lempertz successfully sold three such pieces from the Bernard de Leye Collection in 2021. This pastel follows on from these in terms of both content and technique. It bears witness to Groux's passion for the works of Richard Wagner, whose operas were regularly performed in Brussels at the time. The "Ride of the Valkyries" is closely related to the painting of the same subject from the de Leye Collection (Lempertz, 15th July 2021, lot 255). It is comparable in the intensity, dynamism and density of the pastel strokes, as well as its masterful technique. The figural composition here, however, is on a smaller scale and reminiscent of the works of James Ensor.