Pierre Bonnard

Private Collection, California (acquired circa 1970 and sold: Sotheby's New York, May 9, 2007, lot 212)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1940-1947 et Supplément 1887-1939, vol. IV, Paris, 1974, no. 1919, illustrated p. 266

In good condition. There is a visible watermark along the bottom edge towards the right side. There is minor surface dirt. There are a few thin lines of craquelure in the white pigments on the chair and in the figure's hair. There is a small scrape to the surface at the upper left corner, a half-inch in length. Under UV light, there is a small break in the pigment above the watermark showing a 1 1/2 inch long L-shaped line of restoration. The mustard color in the back of the chair flouresces strongly and appears to have strengthening strokes of inpainting. Otherwise, there is no other evidence of inpainting apparent.
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 the present work Bonnard depicts a contemplative woman relaxing on her chaise lounge in an interior scene.  The sitter of this picture is unknown, however the artist preferred to use close friends, such as Misia Godebska and his wife, Marthe, as models. According to Nicholas Watkins, "there was often a conflict between the twin demands of achieving a likeness and making a painting" (Bonnard, London, 1994, p. 103). Although Bonnard did receive several official commissions at this time, most of the portraits that he painted were of unnamed sitters. Portraiture did present him with some challenges. Even in close-up studies his decorative style would always involve the subjugation of individual character in the interests of the overall mood. 

 Around the time the present work was completed, Bonnard was withdrawing from Paris more and more and spending his time traveling and in the countryside, particularly in the south of France.  Both Matisse and Bonnard drew much inspiration from the brilliant light and colors of the south of France, where the two lived and worked during the most productive years of their careers. Elderfield discusses the similarities of these artists' interior scenes and the sensuality inherent in their work: "Matisse and Bonnard do not only cause intended workings of visual perception to be represented for the beholder, they also cause them to serve a representational purpose. But they are able to do this only because they allow the painting's own sensational visual character to be noticed."  Although Bonnard and Matisse were receiving similar influences, they chose to go in opposite directions of one another stylistically.  Nicholas Watkins writes of this period "he [Bonnard] remained seemingly untouched by the need to find an equivalent for the heady sensations of the south in exuberant brushstrokes and explosive combination of color." Thus we see in Femme assise Bonnard embracing the atmospheric and naturalistic characteristics that defined Impressionism rather than of the Nabi with which he was associated early in his career.