Henri-Edmond Cross

Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris
G. Ullern
Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 31st May 1983, lot 74
The Akram Ojjeh Collection, Paris (purchased at the above sale; sale: Christie's, New York, 8th November 1999, lot 114)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Henri-Edmond Cross, 1907, no. 8  
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Nus, 1910, no. 17
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Henri-Edmond Cross, 1910, no. 12
Brussels, La Libre Esthétique, Rétrospective, 1911, no. 39
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Henri-Edmond Cross,1913, no. 10

H. Guilbeaux, 'Exposition Henri-Edmond Cross', in Les Hommes du Jour, 29th October 1910
Isabelle Compin, Henri-Edmond Cross, Paris, 1964, no. 160, illustrated p. 260

The canvas is not lined. UV examination reveals a small thin horizontal line of retouching to the centre of the left edge. There are two tiny pinholes towards the upper left corner, with associated specks of retouching, visible under UV light. There is some minor paint shrinkage to the green pigments and some tiny paint losses to the same pigments. Otherwise, this work is in overall 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. 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."

Seurat pioneered the divisionist colour theory in the 1880s with his distinguished oil painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte. The theories of divisionism challenged the very process of seeing: Seurat separated colours into areas of pure pigment forcing viewers to combine the colours optically themselves. The effect is one of glittering luminosity. Divisionism provided the perfect arena for Neo-Impressionists to discipline the more gestural strokes of Impressionism that seemed driven by impulse. Now they had to dissect the things that they saw carefully and slowly, before restructuring them, as though sewing together a patchwork quilt.

Henri-Edmond Cross is celebrated as a master of Neo-Impressionism. In this painting he evokes Seurat’s leading work, simulating the shape of Seurat’s landscape and the two levels of his seated and standing characters. From here, Cross pushes the divisionist concept even further with bolder brush strokes and shows the full luxuriant scope of the new artistic style. The sun beats the landscape with lashes of red heat, while it reflects off the sea in brilliant white strokes of light. The strong yellow of the tree tops renders the leaves almost singed by the heavy heat. The contrasting green and dappled dusky pinks provide an oasis of shade for the tranquil bathers.

The figures themselves tie this piece into a long tradition of paintings of women bathing. Renoir's earlier painting is an example of bathers depicted in the Impressionist style that Cross strove to develop. The reworking of a single subject matter creates a dynamic communication between works across styles and periods. Cross’s bathers nod to both tradition and to the avant-garde, as he masterfully showcases the exciting possibilities that Divisionism offered to familiar subjects.