Georges Seurat

Félix Fénéon, Paris
Emile Compard, Paris (vente : Sotheby & Co., Londres, 27 mars 1957, lot 58)
Malborough Fine Art Ltd., Londres
M. & Mme Paul Mellon (acquis en mai 1957 - leur vente : Christie's, New York, 14 novembre 1989, lot 1)
Acquis lors de cette vente par le propriétaire actuel

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune & Cie, Georges Seurat (1859-1891), 1908-09, no. 97 
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune & Cie, Les Dessins de Seurat, 1926, no. 77
Londres, Malborough Fine Art Ltd., 19th and 20th Century European Masters, 1957, no. 51
Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs Paul Mellon and Mrs Mellon Bruce, 1966, no. 242

Gustave Kahn, Les Dessins de Georges Seurat, Paris, 1928, reproduit pl. 61
John Russel, Seurat, New York, 1956, no. 38, reproduit p. 49 
César M. de Hauke, Seurat et son œuvre, Paris, 1961, vol. II, no. 474, reproduit
Fiorella Minervino, Tout l'œuvre peint de Seurat, Paris, 19763, no. D119, reproduit p. 113

This work is in a very good state of conservation. It is executed on cream laid paper, not laid down. The left edge is deckled, and the other edges have been cut, possibly by the artist himself. There is a very minor 2mm nick to the upper edge towards the upper right corner and the sheet is slightly time-stained..
"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."

Conté crayon on paper. Executed circa 1882.

Paysanne les mains au sol fut décrit par John Russell comme "l'une des études de Seurat les plus grandioses montrant un seul personnage du monde rural" (John Russell, Seurat, New York, 1956, p. 49)". La noblesse de sa provenance confirme la belle réputation de ce dessin puisqu'il passa notamment dans la collection Félix Fénéon et dans la prestigieuse collection américaine Paul Mellon.

Ce dessin témoigne de l'influence de Jean-François Millet sur  Seurat mais la manière d'isoler le personnage de son contexte par un cadrage très serré qui exclut tout décor est typique des recherches les plus personnelles de l'artiste. L'effet de lumière obtenu par le contraste de la jupe noire et de la blouse blanche évite de centrer le regard du spectateur sur un point de fuite précis. Cette zone devient ainsi le point le plus expressif d'une image qui n'est plus une succession de volumes mais de plans d'ombre et de lumière, préfigurant certaines compositions picturales tout en aplats engagées par les Nabis.  

" Le résultat des études de Seurat fut sa judicieuse et fertile théorie du contraste, à laquelle il soumit dès lors toutes ses oeuvres. Il l'appliqua d'abord au clair-obscur : avec ces simples ressources, le blanc d'une feuille de papier Ingres et le noir d'un crayon Conté, savamment dégradé ou contrasté, il exécuta quelque quatre cents dessins, les plus beaux 'dessins de peintre' qui soient. Grâce à la science parfaite des valeurs, on peut dire que ces 'blanc et noir' sont plus lumineux et plus colorés que maintes peintures"  (Paul Signac, D'Eugène Delacroix au Néo-Impressionisme, 1899)

 

Paysanne les mains au sol was described by John Russell as "one of the grandest of Seurat's single-figure studies of country life." (John Russell, Seurat, New York, 1956, p. 49)". The prestigious provenance of this drawing confirms its reputation: it has notably passed through the hands of Félix Fénéon and the American collector Paul Mellon.

The influence of Jean-François Millet on Seurat is apparent but the close cropping which isolates the figure from her context, excluding any background detail, is typical of the artist's personal approach. The light effect achieved by the contrast of the black skirt and the white blouse prevents the viewer's gaze from being drawn to any precise focal point. This area also becomes the most expressive zone of an image that is not a series of volumes but rather of planes of shadow and light, prefiguring the flat pictorial compositions that would be undertaken by the Nabis.

"The result of Seurat's studies was his intelligent and fruitful theory of contrast, to which he would thereafter submit all of his oeuvres.  Firstly he applied it to chiaroscuro: with simple resources, the white of a sheet of Ingres paper and the black of Conté crayon, carefully shaded or contrasted, he executed around four hundred drawings, the most beautiful 'painter's drawings' that have ever existed.  Because of this perfect mastery of values, it could be said that these "black and whites" are more luminous and more colourful than many paintings." (Paul Signac, D'Eugène Delacroix au Néo-Impressionisme, 1899)