This Truffle was the booty from a rainy trip to Carpentras market this morning - Carpentras is the pre-eminent town for the 'Perigord Truffle' and more money changes hands (in furtive groups) than in any other truffle centre in France. I tried to explain to the gnarled paysan from whom I bought this, that it was ' pour un Tableau' but I may as well have been speaking in urdu.
Un tableau délicieux! I love the inherent anticipation. Just yesterday The New York Times had an article about truffles being cultivated in Tennessee. Apparently production in the Périgord is now sadly only 5% of what it was 100 years ago.
J- I was wondering why sometimes the winning bid
is posted and not others.
Personally I think the auction
prices are more than fair, whether a painting goes for $300-700. It would just be interesting and curious to see for instance, what type
sells for what price. The
one Ruth commented on as the
typical gravel trail was gorgeous and I wondered what
it went for.
And yes, a book please!!!!!
What is reflected in the spoon? You are such a tease! Since I have almost finished my book on mirrors in French literature, I am most curious about reflections. Is it a reflection of a window? Or of the artist (such as one sees in the Arnolfini portrait)or the King and Queen in Las Meninas? We are all clamoring for a book -- yes, please, but YOU are obviously the one to decide what will be on its cover. Saw the Howard Hodgkin exhibit at the Yale Center for British Art today. It will soon be at the Fitzwilliam Museum. What violent and heady contrasts those paintings are compared to your delicate and carefully crafted works! How I would love to see an exhibit of yours at Yale! But a book first -- or last! A book please!
Fan - You can see the winning bid on the auction site by clicking on the 'recent auctions' thumbnails or clicking the SOLD link under the painting on this site.
Joyce - yes undoubtedly the window (there are two one above the other) not sure what else -it's a nicely tarnished silver spoon so not very reflective and certainly not up to the 'Arnolfini' effect. Last time I saw HH was in the LA County museum shop negociating over the purchase of an Eames chair.
James I was considering giving the painting away to the nearest guess as to the price of the truffle but after my little email mishap couldn't have coped with the ensuing correspondence, ( 20 Euros would have been a good guess, they are cheap and plentiful this year)
Masterful painting. I especially like the lightened bit of backgrond behind the top edge of the upper egg. Think I'm getting hooked on your art, Julian. Although I have painted for 40+ years it's an unending quest of discovery.
Best wishes, Deano
Hi,
I just read the piece on truffles in Peter Mayle's book 'bon appétit' and wanted to know truffle's urdu name. So typed "truffle urdu" in google and thus stumbled upon this page.
Congrats. I'm not a connoisseur of art but this painting makes me want to eat a truffle omelette all the more :)
keep it up!
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