- 24
Henri-Edmond Cross
Estimate
800,000 - 1,200,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Henri-Edmond Cross
- Printemps rose
- Signed Henri Edmond Cross and dated 09
- Oil on canvas
- 28 3/4 by 36 1/2 in.
- 73 by 92 cm
Provenance
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris
Count Harry Kessler, Weimar
Gustave Coquiot
Private Collection, Paris
William Beadleston Inc., New York
Acquired from the above in 1984
Literature
Artist's stock ledger
Felix Fénéon, Bulletin de la Vie artistique, Paris, May 15, 1922, discussed p. 229
Lucie Cousturier, "H.E. Cross," L'Art Décoratif, Paris, March 1913, illustrated p. 131
Isabelle Compin, H.E. Cross, Paris, 1964, no. 222, illustrated p. 329
Andrea Pophanken, Die Moderne und ihre Sammler: Französische Kunst in deutschem Privatbesitz vom Kaiserreich zur Weimarer Republik, Berlin, 2001, listed p. 88
Condition
The canvas is unlined and work retains a rich and textured impasto. Under UV light, there is no evidence of retouching. There is a small spot of paint loss in the blue pigment to the left of the pink tree in the lower right (visible in the catalogue illustration), otherwise this work is in excellent original 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.
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.
Catalogue Note
In the small village of Cabasson, situated between the sea and Mediterranean pines, Cross began to paint his first Divisionist landscapes. Printemps rose, a fine example of this technique, resembles a carefully composed mosaic of shimmering colors. The tonal variations and juxtapositions in the present work recreate the vibrant, dazzling atmosphere of the Côte d'Azur that became a major source of inspiration for the artist.
When he moved from Paris to the Midi in 1891, the artist was interested in exploring the nuances of light and color with a precision that the Impressionists had never achieved. In this picture, the modulation of color, the flatness of the forms, and the purity with which Cross applies each dab of paint all characterize the Neo-Impressionist style. Neo-Impressionism, a movement that evolved from the Impressionist’s emphasis on light and color, was rooted in the color theories of Eugène Michel Chevreul, a French chemist whose studies influenced the work of Cross and Georges Seurat. In the mid-1880s Seurat expounded upon Chevreul’s teachings in his writings and his numerous studies for Après-midi sur La Grande Jatte. His developments in this area influenced artists, including Cross, Theo van Rysselberghe, and Paul Signac to adapt the pseudo-scientific principles into their own painting in the 1890s. While remaining very close to Seurat and Signac, Cross adapted the Divisionist style to his own more rhythmic and bold method. Instead of a rigid use of dots based on color theories, Cross employed a more liberated and intuitive style, creating a body of work that celebrates the majestic light of the Mediterranean coast.
When he moved from Paris to the Midi in 1891, the artist was interested in exploring the nuances of light and color with a precision that the Impressionists had never achieved. In this picture, the modulation of color, the flatness of the forms, and the purity with which Cross applies each dab of paint all characterize the Neo-Impressionist style. Neo-Impressionism, a movement that evolved from the Impressionist’s emphasis on light and color, was rooted in the color theories of Eugène Michel Chevreul, a French chemist whose studies influenced the work of Cross and Georges Seurat. In the mid-1880s Seurat expounded upon Chevreul’s teachings in his writings and his numerous studies for Après-midi sur La Grande Jatte. His developments in this area influenced artists, including Cross, Theo van Rysselberghe, and Paul Signac to adapt the pseudo-scientific principles into their own painting in the 1890s. While remaining very close to Seurat and Signac, Cross adapted the Divisionist style to his own more rhythmic and bold method. Instead of a rigid use of dots based on color theories, Cross employed a more liberated and intuitive style, creating a body of work that celebrates the majestic light of the Mediterranean coast.