Pierre Bonnard

Ambroise Vollard, Paris

Private Collection, Europe (sold: Sotheby's, London, February 5, 2008, lot 38)

Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Tokyo, Gallery Yoshii, Bonnard, peintre de couleurs merveilleuses, 1973, no. 11, illustrated in the catalogue

Saint-Paul, Fondation Maeght, Bonnard dans sa lumière, 1975, no. 12

Tokyo, Nihonbashi Takashimaya Art Galleries; Kobe, Le Musée Préfectoral d'Art Moderne, Hyogo; Nagoya, Le Musée Préfectoral d'Art, Aichi & Fukuoka, Le Musée Municipal d'Art, Pierre Bonnard, 1980-81, no. 15, illustrated in color in the catalogue (titled Scène de rue or Les Fiacres)

Geneva, Musée Rath, Pierre Bonnard, 1981, no. 17, illustrated in color in the catalogue (titled Scène de rue or Les Fiacres)

Lausanne, Fondation de l'Hermitage, Pierre Bonnard, 1991, no. 23, illustrated in color in the catalogue (titled Scène de rue or Les Fiacres)

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard. Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. IV, Paris, 1974, no. 1863, illustrated p. 232 and illustrated in color

Marcel Arland & Jean Leymarie, Bonnard dans sa lumière, Paris, 1978, no. 12, illustrated in color p. 33

Excellent condition. The board is stable and well-supported by the cradled panel. The paint layer is stable and fresh. There are a couple of creases in the paper board in the upper center which may well have been there at the time that the picture was painted. Overall, the picture is in excellent 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.
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.

Painted circa 1905, Scène de rue à Paris depicts a busy Parisian street in the 18th arrondissement, in the vicinity of Montmartre, a popular artists' quarter in the early twentieth century. Bonnard, who lived nearby, took joy in observing  the crowded streets in this part of the metropolis and the bohemian lifestyle of its inhabitants. Set against the gray street pavement, the present composition is dominated by numerous figures, some walking, others in horse-drawn carriages, all captured with a remarkable sense of movement, reflecting Bonnard's fascination with the energy and the dynamic life of the metropolis. Scène de rue à Paris displays a radically modern approach to the composition, shifting the focus away from its centre, towards groups of figures that appear to be walking in and out of the frame. This seemingly nonchalant positioning of the figures suggests a chance momentary glimpse, rather than a carefully staged ensemble.

Bonnard shared his fascination with the city with Impressionist and post-Impressionist artists, including Caillebotte, Monet and Pissarro (fig. 1), all of whom executed a number of works depicting Parisian boulevards, squares and bridges, usually characterised by a sense of rich and varied life of the city. Gustave Geffroy commented: 'no-one is quicker than Bonnard to seize the look of our Parisian streets, the silhouettes of a passer-by and the patch of colour which stands out in the Metropolitan mist. [He] seizes on all the momentary phenomena of the street, even the most fugitive glances are caught and set down' (G. Geffroy, quoted in Pierre Bonnard (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1996, p. 16).