Gustave Caillebotte

Paul Hugot, Paris (circa 1894)
J. Combes, Paris
Alexandre Tarnopol, New York (circa 1957)
Grégoire Tarnopol, New York (by 1972)
Suzanne Delarbre (sold: Christie's, New York, November 15, 1989, lot 364)
Montgomery Gallery, San Francisco (by 1990)
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1995)

Paris, Galeries Durand-Ruel, Exposition rétrospective d'oeuvres de Gustave Caillebotte, 1894, no. 36
Paris, Grand Palais; Chicago, The Art Institute & Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gustave Caillebotte: Urban Impressionist, 1994-95, no. 101, illustrated in color in the catalogue
London, Royal Academy of Arts, Gustave Caillebotte: The Unknown Impressionist, 1996, no. 40
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Collects: Impressions of France, 1998, no. 12, illustrated in color in the catalogue 

Marie Berhaut, La vie et l'oeuvre de Gustave Caillebotte, Paris, 1951, no. 139, listed p. 34
Marie Berhaut, Caillebotte, sa vie et son oeuvre: catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, Paris, 1978, no. 272, illustrated p. 173
Marie Berhaut, Gustave Caillebotte, catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, Paris, 1994, no. 309, illustrated p. 189 (with the measurements 64 by 81 cm)

Original canvas that has been strip-lined around the edges. The impasto is intact. Under ultra-violet light, there are 2 small areas of florescence in the top corners; otherwise, the canvas is untouched.. There is also a fine network of craqueleur throughout that does not affect the visual impact of the composition. This work is in very good, fresh condition. Colors: The catalogue illustration is a bit too purple overall. Colors: The reds are a bit more rosy and the browns are a bit lighter than they appear in the catalogue illustration.
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.

This sweeping view of  Normandy coast depicts the new shorefront villas along the coast of Trouville.  Unlike most of his Impressionist colleagues, Caillebotte was independently wealthy and did not trouble himself with painting for the tastes of the public like Renoir and Monet had during the 1880s.  His choices for subjects were mostly based on his own interests, such as gardening or boating, or contemplating the vistas of the picturesque towns where he would spend his summer holiday, including Villers-sur-Mers, Villerville and Trouville.  It was in this last resort town that he often participated in the regattas along the Channel.  For this picture, Caillebotte depicts the scene with plunging perspective that he had used for so many of his views of Paris as seen from his balcony.  He depicted this same location a number of times but from varying viewpoints, never tiring of the Norman seascape.

When Caillebotte painted this picture in 1884, he was no longer involved with the Impressionist group who continued exhibiting together in Paris.  Those painters had all become embroiled in heated internal politics, and Caillebotte chose to retreat into his own world and his art.   This charming picture evidences the joy and freedom of those years that he spent painting on his own.  At the time of his death in 1894, most of Caillebotte's oil paintings remained in his private collection.  Having no need to sell them, many of these pictures were left unsigned, and on a number of those his signature was added posthumously by his brother Martial or by Renoir, who was the executor of his will.