Georges Braque

Paul Rosenberg, Paris (photo no. 1182, acquired from the artist)

Stanley N. Barbee, Beverly Hills (before 1968)

Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York

Johanna and Ludovic Lawrence, Jerusalem

Acquired as a bequest from the above in 1998

Georges Isarlov, Catalogue des oeuvres de Georges Braque, Paris, 1932, no. 388, catalogued p. 25

Nicole S. Mangin, Catalogue de l'oevure de Georges Braque, Peintures 1924-27, Zurich, 1968, illustrated p. 51 (catalogued as oil on canvas)

Pierre Descargues & Massimo Carrà, Tout l'oeuvre peint de Braque, 1908-1929, Paris, 1973, no. 261, illustrated p. 96 (incorrectly catalogued as oil on canvas)

Very good condition overall. The plywood support is stable and the paint layer is intact. There is a slight concave bow in the center-right of the panel. There are a few vertical cracks but they appear to be stable and the pigments are securely adhered to the support and there is no indication of potential flaking. There is a 2 inch by ¾ inch area of inpainting over existing pigment in the table cloth which is depicted in the lower left quadrant.
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 in 1925, the present work is a superb example of Braque's continued fascination with still-life, the genre that dominated his Cubist period. With the development of synthetic Cubism, the artist had discovered that he could begin a painting – nearly always a still-life on a table – by composing it with purely pictorial elements, such as shaped forms and planes of color, and gradually endow them with an objective significance as his composition progressed. Braque's works of the 1920s are characterized by a more restrained approach to Cubist forms, in line with the revival of Neo-Classicism and what Jean Cocteau referred to as le rappel à l'ordre across French society.

Braque's still-lifes of the 1920s are today considered as the most classical compositions within his oeuvre, as the hard edges of his pre-War paintings evolved into softer curved lines. Typically, pigment is applied thickly and in broad brushstrokes and paint is used to achieve texture as well as color. In the present work, the dark background emphasizes spatial depth and increases the resonance of the bright oranges, of the decorative pattern on the wall and the sharply contrasted white table-cloth. The tilted table and pieces of fruit that appear to defy gravity can be seen as Braque's homage to Cézanne, whose still-lifes played such an important role in the development of modern painting.