Maurice de Vlaminck

Private Collection (acquired circa 1960 and sold: Christies, London, February 7, 2006, lot 235)
Richard Green Fine Paintings, London
Private American Collection (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 8, 2007, lot 233)
Acquired at the above sale

Marcel Sauvage, Vlaminck, Sa vie et son message, Geneva, 1956, p. 113, illustrated plate 82

Very good condition. Original canvas. Minor ¾ inch scratch with associated pinhead-size losses in the sky 4 inches below top edge in center of upper left quadrant. There is a thin layer of varnish on the surface.
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.

In 1892, Vlaminck moved to Chatou, a small town on the river Seine, just north-west of Paris. In Chatou, the railway bridge spanning the Seine near Versailles became the subject of numerous paintings. In 1900 Vlaminck met André Derain, who was born in Chatou, and the two artists formed a friendship and collaboration which was to culminate in the Fauve revolution. Pierre-Auguste Renoir before them had also painted Chatou bridge in 1881, and the area to this day is known as L'Ile des Impressionnistes, reflecting this rich tradition of artists working in the area around the village and its bridge.

In March of 1901 Vlaminck saw an exhibition of Van Gogh's work at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris, which was to play an important role in the development of his own style. As Vlaminck himself proclaimed, "In him I found some of my own aspirations. Probably from similar Nordic affinities? And, as well as revolutionary fervour, an almost religious feeling for the interpretation of nature. I came out of this retrospective exhibition shaken to the core" (quoted in J. Freeman ed., The Fauve Landscape: Matisse, Derain, Braque and Their Circle, 1904-1908 (exhibition catalogue), County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 1990, p. 21). The bold, quick brushstrokes and the juxtaposition of complementary tones in Le Pont de Chatou reflect this "revolutionary fervor". The main focus of the painting is the shimmering effect of light on water, rendered in overlapping strokes of white and blue, juxtaposed with reflections bridge and vegetation in dabs and strokes of green and yellow pigment.