Maurice de Vlaminck

Dr Ruth Morris Bakwin, New York
Perls Galleries, New York (by 1937, stock no. 6135)
Mr Herbert Landsberger, Ridgefield, Connecticut (acquired from the above in 1958)
Private Collection (acquired in 1966); sale: Sotheby's, New York, 18 May 1990, lot 395
Private Collection, London

The canvas has not been lined. Under ultraviolet light some small areas appear to fluoresce, notably in the lower right of the bouquet and in the dark pigments below the flowers. These could be minor retouches addressing thinness but are likely attributable to the artist's original pigments. This painting is in very good condition, with beautifully preserved impasto, and is ready to hang.
"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."

Painted circa 1937. Very gestural, the paint thickly and energetically applied, the present still life is a prime example of Vlaminck's later style, with bold palette and brushwork.

Cyclist, musician and writer, Maurice de Vlaminck only turned to painting after sharing a studio with André Derain during his military service in 1900. Through Derain Vlaminck was introduced to the power of colour, his interest further piqued by visiting the Van Gogh exhibition at Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris in 1901. Derain subsequently introduced Vlaminck to Matisse, and exhibited with both painters in the notorious Salon d’Automne of 1904 where they were collectively and derisively labeled the Fauve (wild beast) painters.  After seeing the posthumous exhibition on Cézanne in 1907, however, it was structure rather than colour in painting that began to absorb Vlaminck. But instead of veering towards Cubism like Picasso and Braque at the time, he developed a more naturalistic style in his work that incorporated a dramatic treatment of landscape and the still life with a very expressive technique. From 1917 in Valmondois in Normandy, where Vlaminck bought a house he painted canvases that summarized his whole way of seeing things, showing his favourite subjects – still-lifes of flowers or the local landscape - recorded in an extraordinary bravura style.