Gustave Caillebotte

Jacques Lamy, Paris (circa 1894)
P. Verne, Paris
Sale: Christies, New York, May 6, 1998, lot 197
Acquired in 2007

Marie Berhaut, Gustave Caillebotte, sa vie et son oeuvre, Catalogue Raisonne des peintures et pastels, Paris, 1978, no. 199, illustrated p. 149
Marie Berhaut, Gustave Caillebotte, catalogue raisonne des peintures et pastels, Paris, 1994, no. 232, illustrated p.161

This painting is in lovely condition and given that it has recently been restored, it should be hung as is. The canvas has a canvas backing which does not appear to be adhered to the original canvas, yet nonetheless protects this area. The paint layer is clean and lightly varnished. In the upper left sky there is a thin diagonal restoration. In the trees in the center right there is a vertical group of tiny restorations which attend to a scratch of some kind and in the sun-lit meadow immediately beneath the white row of flowers there is a small vertical line of restorations. Along the bottom edge there are a few restorations addressing some frame abrasion. The palette is extremely bright and unabraded, and this is an impressive work. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The year 1882 marked a turning point in Caillebotte's career, as it was the last year in which he participated in the Impressionist exhibition.  In addition to the portraits, interiors and depictions of urban Paris he had produced in 1882, the artist also executed views of the Normandy coast and the areas around Honfleur and Trouville.  As Marie Berhaut notes, these paintings were an "introduction to the second part of Caillebotte's oeuvre, which would be devoted almost exclusively to landscapes and seascapes" (quoted in Gustave Caillebotte: Urban Impressionist, Chicago, 1995, p. 256).

In June of 1880, Caillebotte traveled to Normandy to participate in the regatta at Le Havre.  An avid sailor, the artist returned to the Normandy coast almost every summer thereafter. As Rodolphe Rapetti observes: "In his Normandy landscapes, Caillebotte was entering territory in which several of his predecessors--notably Eugene Boudin and Monet--had previously distinguished themselves, in Impressionism's earliest years. These works inevitably bring to mind certain paintings by Monet (see fig. 1), who sojourned frequently in Normandy beginning in 1881" (Gustave Caillebotte: Urban Impressionist, Chicago, 1995, p. 257).    

Fig. 1 Claude Monet, L'Église de Varengeville à contre-jour, 1882, oil on canvas, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Great Britain