Brett Whiteley created this work in Paris in 1989. It was his second visit to the city and resulted in his celebrated Paris series of gouaches and drawings. Here is a quote from Whiteley relating to this period of his work;
“I first went to Paris at age 20, but was so obsessed with modernism and abstraction to paint it. Now with fresh eyes, I could respond figuratively and lyrically to the one ravishing subject – Paris and her cultural heroes. I love the stoniness and creaminess, that wonderful soiled magnolia feeling. Paris is so sensual, beautiful, flirtatious, mischievous, arrogant, orderly, civilised. They call Paris a whore because she seduces you on every corner, and every street I turned, I could see another picture.”
This work has a wonderful provenance having been in the collection of Whiteley’s daughter Arkie.