Georges Rouault

Ambroise Vollard, Paris

Private Collection (inherited from the above)

Galerie Hopkins-Custot, Paris

Acquired from the above

Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Rouault: peintures inconnues ou célèbres, 1965, no. 80, illustrated in the catalogue (titled Pierrot à la branche de fruits)

Pierre Courthion and Isabelle Rouault, Georges Rouault, New York, 1962, no. 281, illustrated p. 431

The canvas has been lined. The heavy impasto is unaffected by the lining. Under ultraviolet light, there are some cosmetic retouches along some cracks in the paint layer -- one across the waist of the figure and a few others in the center of the left background to the left of the head. This work is otherwise in very good condition.
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.

Painted in 1937-38, Pierrot originates from one of Rouault's most expressive and beloved series. His interest in the world of the circus found its greatest outlet in his art during the 1930s, when Ambroise Vollard had commissioned him to make etchings and woodcuts for the book Cirque de l'étoile filante, published in 1938. These depictions were based on his own childhood memories of the circus, as he remembered them, "Acrobats and horsewomen, sparkling or passive clowns, tightrope walkers and freaks, and my friends, color and harmony, since my earliest childhood I have been in love with you" (quoted in Bernard Dorival & Isabelle Rouault, Rouault, l'oeuvre peint, Monte Carlo, 1988, vol I, p. 153). Rouault combats the potential frivolity of the subject with a Cloisonnist style in which the figures and objects are delineated with black outlines. Evoking the imagery of stained glass imbues the subject with a more profound and spiritual depth. Unlike other artists who employed Cloisonnist techniques, however, Rouault employs boundless expressionistic brushstrokes that deconstruct forms and bring his subject to the edge of abstraction.

Rouault was particularly drawn to the clowns and their expressive potential as subjects for portraiture. These nomadic entertainers represented freedom and naiveté, and were for Rouault a release from his focus on the darker images of life. His series of clown portraits is marked by an emotional immediacy that is unique both within his oeuvre and the spectrum of modern art.  Lionello Venturi writes, "When he paints clowns, however, the grotesque becomes amiable, even lovable... colors grow rich and resplendent, almost as if the artist, laying aside his crusader's arms for a moment, were relaxing in the light of the sun and letting it flood into his work" (Lionello Venturi, Rouault, Lausanne, 1959, pp. 21 & 51).