Paul Signac

Estate of the artist
Ginette Signac, Paris (the artist's daughter, by descent from the above)
Galerie Dom, Cologne (1961)
O'Hana Gallery, London
Galerie de l'Elysée (Alex Maguy), Paris
Private Collection, Europe (sold: Sotheby's, London, 31st March 1987, lot 11)
Private Collection, Japan (purchased at the above sale. Sold: Christie's, London, 2nd February 2004, lot 17)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Grand Palais, 42e Exposition de la Société des Artistes Indépendants, 1932, no. 3741
Paris, Petit Palais, Paul Signac, 1934, no. 43 (as dating from 1932)

René-Jean, 'Avant le vernissage. Au Salon des Indépendants. La peinture', in Comœdia, Paris, 22nd January 1932, p. 3
Gustave Kahn, 'La 43e [sic.] Exposition des Indépendants', in Mercure de France, Paris, 15th February 1932, p. 191
G. B., 'Le Salon des Indépendants', in L'Amour de l'art, Paris, March 1932, fig. 55, illustrated p. 100
'De Onafhankelijken', in Hedendaagsche Schilderkunst en beeldhouwerkunst,no. 3, Amsterdam, May 1932, illustrated p. 10
Gaston Lévy, 'Pré-catalogue', circa 1932, illustrated p. 520
Françoise Cachin, Signac. Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, Paris, 2000, no. 596, illustrated p. 335

The canvas is lined and is on a new stretcher. There is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. This work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly stronger in the original, particularly in the blue tones.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work depicts the port of Barfleur in Normandy, which Signac first visited during the autumn of 1930. In a letter to his friend and art collector Gaston Lévy dating from October of that year, Signac wrote: 'The port has enough hustle and bustle about it, and is lined with houses of a handsome and pure architecture. The countryside around is magnificent and very wooded, and the terrain is rolling. It's one of the high spots of France: the sea is beautiful and the gardens are full of flowers' (quoted in Marina Ferretti-Bocquillon, Signac Watercolors, Paris, 2001, p. 115). Delighted by this region, Signac returned to Barfleur in the summer of 1931, and bought a little fisherman's house next to the church, with a view of the harbour.

 

Marina Ferretti-Bocquillon wrote: 'Signac appreciated the strategic position and austere beauty of Barfleur. He was delighted by the variety of effects that its climate offered: rain showers, skies full of clouds, rainbows, and bright intervals that were full of light. He would often stroll along the waterfront, crossing over to the opposite side of the boat basin so he could observe the Pointe de Barfleur. In the foreground, he saw the sea with small fishing boats, and beyond, the very old houses arranged in rows with the squat silhouette of the church, whose shortened steeple resembled the crow's nest of a ship. The view opened out broadly to the sea and the sky. Signac never tired of painting this scene' (ibid., p. 115).