Duncan Grant

Alex Reid & Lefevre, London
Sale, Christie's London, 3^rd November 1967, lot 137, where acquired by the present owners 

The board is sound. There are some old scuff marks to the corners and some minor surface dirt otherwise in good original condition. Under ultraviolet light, there are two small spots of retouching by the tree on the far right and a further small spot by the bottom left edge. Held in a painted plaster frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 5381 if you have any queries regarding this picture.
"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."

As a great admirer from an early age of Eugène Delacroix, Duncan Grant painted more than one 'copy' of works by the French artist, often re-read his famous Journal and owned a pencil study for Delacroix's Palais Bourbon ceiling decoration, a drawing once owned by Degas (and still on view at Charleston). The present painting is in a sense a homage to Delacroix in that it shows the entrance to the artist's studio, apartment and garden in the Place de Furstenberg (entered by the large dark doors to the left of the painting). In 1932 the premises, threatened by demolition, had been rented by the Society of Eugène Delacroix as its headquarters but it was not until many years later that it became a national museum devoted to the artist. There is no recorded winter visit to Paris made by Grant in 1935, the date of the painting, but he made short trips to the French capital throughout his career. 1935 was a difficult year for Grant, overshadowed by the rejection of his large murals commissioned by Cunard for the Queen Mary liner. There were also troubles in his private life and it is not too fanciful to find something of his melancholy mood in this picture. In the later 1930s it is also possible to detect the influence of Delacroix on his painting, an influence that increased in subsequent decades.

Place de Furstenberg is one of the smallest and most charming squares in Paris and is found between Rue Jacob and Rue de l'Abbaye. It is the location of what is now the Musee Eugene Delacroix at the painter's studio, which at the date of Grant's painting was in the process of being saved from destruction by a group of artists and writers, such as Maurice Denis and Paul Signac.

We are grateful to Richard Shone for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.