Félix Vallotton

Axel Ullern, Honfleur (acquired through Paul-Elie Gernez in 1917)
Sale: Palais Galliéra, Paris, November 27, 1968, no. 82 (titled as Colline boisée au bord du lac Léman)
Arthur Tooth, London (acquired at the above sale)
Private Collection, Paris (acquired from the above in 1969)

Paris, Galerie Druet, Exposition de peintures de Félix Vallotton, 1912, no. 25
Zurich, Kunsthaus, Ausstellung Januar, 1913, no. 172 (titled as Durchblick)
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Cinquante ans de peinture française dans les collections particulières de Cézanne à Matisse, 1952, no. 178 (titled as Honfleur)

Gilbert Guisan and Doris Jakubec, Eds., Félix Vallotton, Documents pour une biographie et pour l'histoire d'une oeuvre; Vol. III, Journal, Lausanne, 1973-75, discussed p. 180
Marina Ducrey, Félix Vallotton, L'oeuvre peint, Vol. III. Catalogue raisonné, Zurich, 2005, no. 882, illustrated p. 513

This painting is in lovely condition. The canvas is unlined. The paint layer is stable and not cracked or distorted in any way. The painting has been cleaned, lightly varnished and retouched in two places. The first retouch is situated approximately an inch from the bottom edge in the flower field and addresses a thin break and associated paint loss approximately one and a quarter inches high. The other restoration is in the center right on the edge of the dark pine tree, and addresses a small loss approximately half an inch square. The remainder of the picture is clean and unretouched. A very light varnish ahs been applied. This report has been kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation.
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.

Although it is common to categorize him as a Nabis painter, Vallotton remained unaffiliated throughout his artistic career, following his own path. His influences ranged from the emotional depth of Edvard Munch's ouevre to the more common inspiration of Japanese woodblock prints. His portrayals of Parisian society at the turn of the last century are certainly highlights of his ouevre, but the rural landscape also fulfillfed a vital role in his art. Although he had painted landscapes from the conception of his artistic career, he became particularly intrigued by the creative potential of the French countryside from 1909 until his death in 1925. He imbued these landscapes with a psychological profundity that surpassed and inspired many of his contemporaries. The current work is a brilliant demonstration of his ability to anthropomorphize a rural landscape, creating a singular sense of emotional presence.

Vallotton wrote in his journal in September, 1916, of his urge to produce landscape paintings that revealed a personal reaction: "I dream of a painting free from any literal respect for nature. I would like to be able to recreate landscapes only with the help of the emotion they have provoked in me, a few large and evocative lines, one or two details chosen with no thought for the exact time or light. It would be like going back to the famous historical landscape; and why not? And who knows if from landscape I will not go back to figurative? There seem to be open and unlimited directions" (quoted in Sasha M. Newman, Félix Vallotton (exhibition catalogue), New Haven, 1991, p. 181).

Fig. 1, The artist in his studio on the rue de Milan, Paris, 1903