Kees van Dongen

Acquis dans les années 1930 par la famille du propriétaire actuel

The canvas is not lined. There is some thin craquelure mostly in the upper part of the composition. This work is in very good original 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. 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."

signed 'Van Dongen' (lower right), oil on canvas.

Fig. 1  Van Dongen en compagnie de Bibi et Jacques-Henri Lartigue à Cannes sur la croisette en 1923

Dans les années 1920, Van Dongen a acquis sa célébrité et une certaine prospérité grâce à ses portraits fauves de personnalités issues du Beau Monde parisien. Cette fortune nouvelle lui permet de faire l'acquisition d'une villa à Cannes qui inspirera l'artiste tout au long de sa carrière, notamment dans de nombreux paysages de bord de mer où des bateaux s'éloignent du port de Cannes. La gaieté et la vivacité fougueuses de ces travaux reflètent une tout autre facette de l'artiste alors célèbre pour ses clinquantes représentations des femmes de la haute société ou du Paris bohême.

Cannes évoque un artiste épanoui qui puise dans la mer azurée et le soleil méditerranéen ses bleus vifs et profonds. Le calme ambiant est renforcé par la tranquillité des passants du premier plan. Si la palette n'a rien perdu de sa vivacité et de sa puissance, le style s'est, lui, affranchi de l'aspect tapageur, quasi insolent qui caractérisait les travaux fauves de l'artiste. Il règne dans cette œuvre une sorte de volupté lumineuse qui n'est pas sans rappeler les travaux de Matisse ; ce dernier ayant lui aussi trouvé sous le soleil méditerranéen un cadre propice à la création d'un art tout en couleurs au charme tranquille et apaisé. 

 

During the 1920s, Van Dongen's Fauve portraits of Parisian personalities earned him celebrity and a certain prosperity. This fortune enabled him to purchase a villa in Cannes which would inspire him throughout his career, notably in the numerous landscapes of the seafront where the boats set out from the port.  The intense exuberance and dynamism of these works show a new aspect of the artist who until then had been famous for his flashy depictions of high society women or of Bohemian Paris.

Cannes suggests a mature artist who draws his deep blues from the azure sea and Mediterranean sun.  The ambient calm is emphasised by the tranquillity of the passers-by in the foreground.  Though the palette has lost none of its vivacity and power, the style has been freed from the showy, almost brash aspect which characterises the works of the Fauves.  A luminous sensuality infuses this picture, bringing to mind works by Matisse; he too found the perfect setting under the Mediterranean sun for the creation of vibrant, colourful art that retains a soothing, serene quality.