My primary concern is humanity, its tragedies and its struggles to rise above the privations of physical existence.
Sadequain, 1974
We are delighted to announce our upcoming exhibition 'Sadequain, The Stranger in Paris', to take place at Grosvenor Gallery in London from 29 March - 23 April 2021.
The exhibition focusses on Sadequain's illustrations of the 1966 publication of Albert Camus' existentialist masterpiece 'L'Étranger', released by 'Les Bibliophiles de L'Automobile Club de France'. The commission was one of the most significant events in his career, and one he worked on for a number of years.
The exhibition includes a number of preparatory sketches and watercolours for Sadequain's illustrations of Camus' manuscript, as well as the book itself, which features 22 full colour illustrations and 13 black and white details. A surviving copy of the menu from the gala-dinner held to celebrate the publication will also be included in the show.
A limited-edition catalogue will be available, which goes in to further detail about the artist's time in Paris and his work on the commission. A number of other works from this period (1961-1967) will also be illustrated and on display in the gallery during the show.
First published in 1942, L'Étranger is a masterpiece of 20th century literature, and was voted number 1 in Le Monde's list of 100 Books of the 20th Century. In 1956, Camus scholar Carl Viggiani wrote of the book; "On the surface, L'Étranger gives the appearance of being an extremely simple though carefully planned and written book. In reality, it is a dense and rich creation, full of undiscovered meanings and formal qualities." Certainly, in this regard, Sadequain seems to have been a wonderful match.
