L13004

/

Lot 148
  • 148

Henri Le Sidaner

Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Henri Le Sidaner
  • NATURE MORTE
  • signed Le Sidaner (lower left)
  • oil on canvas
  • 55.8 by 46.8cm., 22 by 18 3/8 in.

Provenance

Galerie Georges Petit, Paris
Richard Green, London
Sale: Christie's, New York, 20th November 1986, lot 361
Private Collection (purchased at the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Literature

Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Le Sidaner, LŒuvre peint et gravé, Paris, 1989, no. 376, illustrated p. 153

Condition

The canvas is not lined and there do not appear to be any signs of retouching visible under UV light. This work is in very good condition and there is a lovely rich impasto. Colours: overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, though the background is slightly more saturated in the original.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Le Sidaner's skillful play with light and colour is epitomised in Nature Morte as he meticulously renders an intimate table-top arrangement. Here the artist demonstrates his masterful ability to convey familiar settings and objects using a jewel-toned palette, ultimately achieving a cadent luminosity devoid of human interference.

The artist was not alone in his sensitivity to quiet and poetic beauty. As Paul Signac noted, 'his entire work is influenced by a taste for tender, soft and silent atmospheres.  Gradually, he even went so far as to eliminate from his paintings all human figures, as if he feared that the slightest human presence might disturb their muffled silence' (quoted in Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., p. 31).  Instead, the artist focused on the architectural and domestic environments that people create for themselves. 'He considered that the silent harmony of things is enough to evoke the presence of those who live among them. Indeed, such presences are felt through his works. Deserted they may be, but never empty' (Camille Mauclair, Henri Le Sidaner, Paris, 1928, p. 12).