Henri Lebasque

M. Lepelletier, Vosges
Galerie Marcel Bernheim, Paris
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 1st July 1987, lot 196
Private Collection, London (purchased at the above sale)
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 4th April 1990, lot 369
Private Collection (purchased at the above sale)
Sale: Christie's, New York, 8th November 1995, lot 176
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paul Vitry, Henri Lebasque, Paris, 1928, p. 115
Denise Bazetoux, Henri Lebasque, Catalogue raisonné, Neuilly-sur-Marne, 2008, vol. I, no. 463, illustrated p. 149

The canvas is not lined. There are three small spots of retouching to the centre of the upper half of the work, visible under UV light. Apart from some minor paint shrinkage to the centre left and centre right, this work is 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. 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."

Following the turbulent war years, in which Lebasque served as a painter to the army at the Front, the artist very happily retreated to the tranquillity of coastal life and its blissful subject matter. In 1920, he spent the summer in l'Ile d'Yeu, a beautiful and enchanting island south of Brittany, which was to become an endless source of inspiration for the artist.

Influenced by his contact with fellow artists Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard during the 1890s, Lebasque spent the better part of his career capturing the quiet moments of family and domestic life.  In Jeune femme devant la fenêtre ouverte à l'Île d'Yeu, the artist brilliantly captures the serenity and intimacy of a woman as she dreams away isolated from the buzz of the port life where fishermen prepare their boats, bicycles ride by and visitors share the latest news at the Café de l'Hôtel des Voyageurs . The sense of calm infused in the present work is wonderfully rendered by his fresh pastel palette and the perfectly balanced composition, all elements that remain true hallmarks of Lebasque's mature style.

In discussing Lebasque's works of this period, Vitry notes that 'the technique is noticeably different: the luminous state is more and more rare and it is through large, flat brushwork that light is expressed; the shadows are always transparent and coloured, the play of light and shadow is established with a tranquil harmony, without arguments; because Lebasque, while making concessions to the new techniques, always paints with clarity and without brutality. Nothing is more opposed to his temperament, to his instinct, than the heavy run of sombre shades that sadden many of the canvases of the younger generation after the war, and so, here, with this new period, the figures are solidly established and painted on a large scale, with more force and with more oppositions of striking tones...' (Paul Vitry, Henri Lebasque, Paris, 1928, pp. 78-79).

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Family walking along Port Joinville's pier, Ile d'Yeu