Georges Rouault

The artist's studio
Private Collection (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 12, 1988, lot 365)
Acquired at the above sale

Bernard Dorival & Isabelle Rouault, Rouault, L'Oeuvre peint, vol. I, Monte Carlo, 1988, no. 918, illustrated p. 280

Executed on cream wove paper laid down on canvas. The surface of the picture maintains a rich and textured impasto. Instances of stable cracking are visible in thicker areas of pigment, and there are a few thin cracks to the pigment just above the bottom edge of the composition. In a few place the pigment from the impasto appears to have been lost; this is visible in the figure's face and at the center right edge of the composition. Surface is slightly dirty and has been coated with a layer of varnish. Under UV light: certain pigments fluoresce but no inpainting is apparent. A thick layer of varnish is difficult to read through. Overall the work is in very good 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.

Le Clown Pâle is a quintessential example of Rouault's ability to deeply mine a complex subject with universal relevance. Since early childhood, Rouault was fascinated by the excitement and splendor of the circus; however, the ambiguous role of clowns in society particularly intrigued him. The clown represents a fool, an outcast of society, while simultaneously serving as a professional entertainer. Isabel Rouault discusses the artist's depictions of clowns: "Without props, often standing in front of an empty background, they offer to our gaze their sorrowful faces, all the more convincing through their frontal dispositions of majestic intensity. It is the man who the artist discovers beneath the mask, and underneath the habit of the fool, it is a wounded man which he apprehends." She continues, "they are the saints and, who knows, the martyrs of the circus. But Rouault is not always playing the grand organ. He is also amused by these professionals of laughter" (Bernard Dorival & Isabelle Rouault, op.cit., p. 183).