Henri Hayden

Michel Couturier, Paris
Galerie de l'Ile de France, Paris
Private Collection (and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 27, 1990, lot 153)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above in 1993

The original canvas is very thin and has been lined for support. There is a thin glossy varnish which impedes a thorough examination but there is no evidence of retouching visible under UV light. 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.
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.

During his early years in Paris, where he first arrived from his native Poland in 1907, Hayden met many of the leading figures of the Parisian avant-garde. His biggest influence was that of his friend Juan Gris, whom he met in 1914. Gris introduced him to Jacques Lipchitz and importantly to Léonce Rosenberg, who took him on to join the stable of artists that defined Cubism at his Galerie de L’Effort Moderne.   

By 1919, when he painted this work, Hayden had developed a painting style influenced largely by his study of the Cubist works of Picasso, Braque and Gris. In choosing to depict a brightly colored harlequin holding a musical instrument, Hayden utilized themes from the Commedia dell'arte that had become common currency in the work of Picasso, Gris and many of their contemporaries. The theme preoccupied sculptors too, and Hayden’s friend Jacques Lipchitz spoke of the subjects’ fascination in his autobiography: "[the harlequin] reflects my interest in eighteenth century paintings, particularly that of Watteau... The Pierrots and harlequins were part of our general vocabulary, characters taken from the Commedia dell'arte, particularly popular in the eighteenth century. We may have been attracted to them originally because of their gay traditional costumes, involving many different colored areas" (Jacques Lipchitz, My Life in Sculpture, New York, 1972, p. 58).