Jean-François Raffaëlli

Sale: Christie's, New York, May 6, 1999, lot 119, illustrated
Private Collector (acquired at the above)
Gifted from the above to the present owner

Lined; under UV: no apparent inpainting.
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.

Raffaëlli's earliest panoramic depiction of a Paris street scene was in 1878, when he painted La Place de l'Opéra for the Salon (please note this painting is being sold in Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art sale on November 2, 2010).  His brushwork at that time was more hard-edged and reminiscent of academic painters such as Jean Béraud (see lots 38, 45).  The 1878 Salon jury rejected La Place de l'Opéra and the following year Raffaëlli left Paris to live in the suburb of Asnières, where he focused almost exclusively on its inhabitants as subjects for his paintings (see lot 39).  Raffaëlli returned to Paris in 1892 and for the remainder of his life he found success in painting urban street scenes in Paris and other French cities. 

L'Institut de France et le Pont des Arts was most likely painted in the 1890s.  Raffaëlli now works in a much more impressionistic style; his palette has brightened and the surface has a much more painterly quality than in his earlier works.  It is clear that Impressionism has made its mark on Raffaëlli.  While Degas was an early influence on the artist, it is now apparent that Raffaëlli is more akin to the subject and style of an artist like Camille Pissarro.