Amédée Ozenfant

Rivière Collection
Sale: Briest Scp, Paris, June 22, 1994, lot 58

Very good condition. Executed on buff-colored paperboard. Work is braced to the mount with 4 mounting corners. There are some minor losses to the extreme edges particularly to the upper right corner and right edge. There is a ¼ inch thick strip of tape around perimeter on the verso. There is a minor inch-long scratch on surface of the board in lower left area, 2 inches above the signature; this is visible in the catalogue illustration. Colors are strong and fresh.
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.

Initially drawn to the artistic solutions of Cubism, Ozenfant became dissatisfied with the direction of art after 1915 and collaborated with the artist and architect, Le Corbusier, to publish Après le Cubisme in 1918. The publication outlined the tenets of the new artistic form of Purism which derived its basis from the deconstructive elements of cubism and introduced a machinist aesthetic. Ozenfant and Le Corbusier worked closely together through the 1920s and their oeuvres from these years reveal an intriguing artistic dialogue, culminating in the design by le Corbusier of Ozenfant's home and studio in 1923 (see fig. 1).

Nature morte à la bouteille is an iconic example of these Purist ideologies. Ozenfant reduces the elements in his still-life to their purest geometric forms and simplifies his palette to a defined range. He employs the historically significant subject of still-lifes and challenges prior interpretation. By the late 1920s, Ozenfant would turn to large-scale figurative murals but it is these still-life compositions from the height of Purism that remain the highlights of his oeuvre.

 

Fig. 1 The artist's studio in Paris, designed by Le Corbusier