Kees van Dongen

Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, May 25, 1932, lot 52
Private Collection, Paris
Madame Salomon, Paris (inherited from her father)
Private Collection, Paris
Galerie Daniel Malingue, Paris
Private Collection, Europe (acquired from the above)

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Exposition Van Dongen, 1913, no. 22
Odakyu, Musée Odakyu; Mie, Musée Préfectoral d'Art de Mie; Yokohama, Musée Sogo; Osaka, Musée d'Art de Daimaru & Takamatsu, Musée d'Art de Takamatsu, À Paris, Cafés d'artistes et leurs légendes: Montmartre, Montparnasse et Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 1999-2000,  no. 16 (as dating from 1906)

Van Dongen. Du Nord et du Sud (exhibition catalogue), Musée de Lodève, 2004, p. 18

The canvas is not lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. This work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall farily accurate although the yellow tones are more subtle and the colours are more subtle in the original.
"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."

Orientalist themes dominated Van Dongen's work throughout his Fauve period, providing an exoticism and intensity that perfectly suited the artist's temperament. In his predilection for the theme, Van Dongen followed a long tradition of Orientalism in French art from Delacroix and Ingres to Matisse. In 1906, Matisse made his first trip to Morocco, and the visit had a profound effect on the development of his style. Matisse and Van Dongen were the two Fauve artists most influenced by the Arab world and most capivated by the human figure. The exoticism of the cultures of North Africa and the Ottoman Empire and the intensity of colour and light made a tremendous impact on their motifs and techniques at this time. Van Dongen's particular achievement, as exemplified in the present work, was to achieve a synthesis of the brilliant and pure chromatic vision of the Fauves with a great sense of movement and compositional audacity.

While living at the Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre, Van Dongen frequented the bals musettes and cabarets of the area, seeking out models for his paintings, and became one of the leading figures in bohemian circles. The sensual dancer became the subject of some of Van Dongen's most emotionally charged, energetic and erotic paintings during this period, and the present painting is a bold example of his exploration of this theme.