Henri Lebasque

Isaac de Camondo, Paris
Sale: Christie's, New York, 16th May 1985, lot 347
Private Collection

The canvas is not lined. There are thin lines of retouching throughout to cover paint shrinkage, visible under UV light. This work is in good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted in 1910, Paul de Camondo depicts the son of wealthy banker and major art collector Comte Isaac de Camondo and the artist Lucie Berthet. Comte Isaac de Camondo came from an old Sephardic family from Constantinople and arrived in France in 1869 where he together with his uncle Nissim and cousin Moïse intended to expand the large fincancial business created by the Camondo family during the Ottoman Empire. Comte Isaac began to collect Japanese prints, objects from the Far East and Impressionist paintings including celebrated works by Manet and Monet which were later donated to the Musée d'Orsay. The interior of the present work shows the salon of the Camondo residence at 61, rue de Monceau in Paris where their magnificent private collection was on display.

Most probably commissioned by Isaac de Camondo, the present work is sensitively rendered in a vibrant palette of brilliant blues, reds and greens, highlighting both the artist's fascination with portraiture as well as his ability to render the beauty and meticulous detail of particular moods and surroundings. The seven year old boy who was later to become a stage actor is wearing an elegant blue suit adorned by a little golden necklace and whilst he is uneasily holding onto a small armchair in their private salon, glances absent-mindedly towards the viewer.

Describing the artist's sensitive eye in rendering private and intimate subjects, Lisa Banner observed: 'Lebasque's vision of life led him to concentrate upon domestic scenes and close interior compositions. He was hailed as the painter of 'Joy and Light' by art critics and curators of the Louvre in his later life. But Lebasque's primary concerns were with simple expression of sensuous surface...He achieved an intimate manner of painting those scenes [ ] most dear to him, which was replete with his personal delight in form and colour, heightened by his contact with fellow painters Matisse and Bonnard, but characteristically his own' (L. Banner, Lebasque, 1865-1937, San Francisco, 1985, p. 20).