Georges Valmier

Léonce Rosenberg (Galerie de L'Effort Moderne), Paris

Denise Bazetoux, Georges Valmier Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1993, no. 86, illustrated p. 59

This painting has been recently restored and should be hung as is. The canvas has been lined using Beva-371 as an adhesive, which is reversible. The lining nicely supports the canvas and should remain. The paint layer is stable, clean and varnished. Under ultraviolet light a few retouches are visible in small isolated spots in the composition itself. The brown background on the left is un-retouched and the pale background on the right shows retouches only in the center of the right side. Within the remainder of the composition there are small dots of retouch visible under ultraviolet light in isolated areas, although there are none in the upper portion of the composition. In the center and in the white section in the lower left there are a few small spots, and other tiny, isolated dots are visible here and there. This painting is clearly in a lovely state and should be hung as is. The above condition report has been prepared by Simon Parkes, an independent conservator who is not an employee of Sotheby’s. Please note that this work is sold unframed.
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.

Following the conclusion of World War One, Georges Valmier emerged as one of the leading painters of the Cubist style.  The small, delicate collages which garnered him attention in 1916 were markedly different than the works of older Cubists like Picasso, Braque and Gris, their distinction perhaps most clearly demonstrated through Valmier's ebullient use of color.  Rather than using the muted, neutral palette favored by the pre-war Cubists, Valmier embraced bold, vibrant hues in his paintings as a means of expression.  "With the current plastic expressions," Valmier wrote, "color takes on its true meaning, its own life.  Color is the substance which is destined to express the intellect"(quoted in Denise Bazetoux, Georges Valmier, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1993, p. 20). 

Valmier had his first one-man exhibition in 1921 at the Galerie de l'Effort Moderne in Paris, a gallery belonging to the dealer Léonce Rosenberg, with whom Valmier had signed a contract in 1919.  By this time, Valmier had already developed his signature style of flattened planes articulated by expressive patterning- a style exemplified by the present work.  In 1922, Valmier designed the sets and costumes for Max Jacob's Isabelle et Pantalon, which led to the creation of stage designs for numerous other theatrical productions in addition to a design collaboration with the Ballets Russes.  However, painting remained his primary focus, with the implications and expressive capabilities of the medium occupying him throughout his career.