Francisco Moncion "Bourrée Fantasque - Blue #3”
Pastel on Paper circa 1980
Size 17 x 14 inches
Total Framed Size 24.25 x 24.5 inches
Mated and framed in a .75 inches wood frame pickled white that is 1.75 inches deep.

Francisco Moncion's series of pastels "Bourrée Fantasque" was inspired by George Balanchine's ballet "Bourrée Fantasque" which he created for the New York City Ballet in 1949. Moncion was a principal dancer with NYCB and also a respected visual artist who befriended and worked alongside other iconic artists of the time including Salvador Dali, Miró, Picasso, Corrado Cagli and photographers George Platt Lynes and Carl van Vechen.

The "Bourrée Fantasque" series is executed in richly applied pastels with bold pencil lines on paper. Some images suggest dancing figures, others vibrant costumes but, all have a strong sense of motion, a statement of linear presence and are rooted in the Mid-20th Century modern aesthetic.

Moncion was known for his vibrant color palate often highlighting brilliant oranges, reds and yellows against subtle blues, tans and apricots drawing dynamics from his heritage and early childhood in the Dominican Republic.


"Bourrée Fantasque - Blue #3” is one of three in the Blue Series.  It is matted and framed. The frame is contemporary, 3/4 inch wood that has a pickled off white color revealing some wood grain. The mat is a soft light pastel color selected by the artist to complement the individual piece. The frame is 1 3/4 in deep.
 


Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his forty-year career choreographers George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins created 22 major roles for Moncion including the Dark Angel in "Orpheus", Death in "La Valse", Prince Ivan in "Firebird", and the Boy in "Afternoon of a Faun". Due to his dramatic artistry and exotic looks Moncion was frequently photographed by George Platt Lynes and Carl van Vechten. Moncion's works have been exhibited in New York City with works Miró and Cagli.


This is a rare opportunity to own a fine work by Francisco Moncion which is a culmination of Mid-20th Century art, design and theater aesthetics.