Théo van Rysselberghe

M.L. De Boer, Amsterdam
Sale: Campo, Antwerp, October 1, 1968
Hammer Galleries, New York, 1969
Richmond Gallery, London
Private Collection, United Kingdom (acquired from the above in 1979 and sold: Christie's London, February 7, 2001, lot 131)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts & The Hague, Gemeentemuseum, Théo van Rysselberghe, 2006, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Jean Sutter, ed., Les Néo-Impressionnistes, Neuchâtel, 1970, illustrated p. 207
Ronald Feltkamp, Théo van Rysselberghe, 1862-1926, Brussels, 2003, no. 1894-013, illustrated p. 305

Work is in very good condition. Canvas is lined. Under UV light: some scattered dots of retouches in various areas in the sky and along the left and top edges to address frame abrasion. Surface is clean and shows impasto.
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.

Paysage avec maisons, painted in 1894, is a highly complex and sophisticated representation of Van Rysselberghe's strict Pointillist style – one which was entirely influenced by the work of French artists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. Van Rysselberghe first encountered their work in 1886, when he travelled to Paris in the company of the poet Emile Verhaeren. Determined to introduce the new style into Belgian art, he invited Signac to exhibit in the Salon of Les XX just a year after their initial meeting in 1887, and became one of the few followers of Signac and Seurat that would fully incorporate their chromatic discoveries into his own art.

The present work exhibits the small dabs of complementary and contrasting color which are typical of Neo-Impressionist painting. The palette, mostly limited to blue, purple, green and yellow, is reminiscent of Seurat's great masterpiece A Sunday on la Grande Jatte (The Art Institute of Chicago). However, Van Rysselberghe's work departs from such influences in its focus on a timeless, pastoral scene in which figures are subordinate to the natural panorama. Van Rysselberghe succeeds in creating a tangible sense of movement, suggesting depth through the use of variant colors rather than degrees of tone.