Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Théophile Bascle (probably acquired from the artist. Bascle, 1824-1882, was a wine merchant and art collector, whose collection included 16 Corots and numerous works by Jongkind; his estate sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 12 April 1883, lot 13 (as Effet de matin au printemps))
Galerie Sedelmeyer, Paris
Private collection, Germany (acquired from the above; by 1949)
Private collection, France
Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd., London (by 1951)
Private collection, UK (acquired from the above on 17 April 1952)

London, Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd., Recent Acquisitions, 1951

Paul Eudel, L'Hôtel Drouot et la curiosité en 1883, Paris, 1884, p. 224, listed with the other highlights from the sale (as Effet du matin au printemps)
Alfred Robaut, L'Oeuvre de Corot: catalogue raisonné et illustré, Paris, 1905, vol. III, p. 76, no. 1473, catalogued (as signed lower left); p. 77, illustrated
Corot 1796-1875, exh. cat., New York, Ottawa & New York, 1996-97, p. 72, cited with no. 3

The canvas has an old relining. This work is in good overall condition, presents well, and is ready to hang. There are scattered faint lines of hairline craquelure, visible primarily in the sky. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals minor scattered spots and thin strokes of retouching in the sky addressing some of the faint craquelure. Over the land and trees the old residual traces of varnish fluoresce more opaquely, suggesting the work has been selectively cleaned in the past, however there do not appear to be notable signs of retouching in this area. Presented in a decorative gilt frame.
"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 1860-65, the present work is a particularly subtle and evocative depiction of one of Corot’s most recognisable themes. While the feathered brushwork of the foliage is typical of the artist’s lyrical work from the 1850s on, the judicious touches of pure colour and rendering of the soft light of a spring morning underline Corot’s importance as a master of plein air painting, and a key precursor of Impressionism.

Lying halfway between Paris and Versailles, along with Sèvres, Meudon, and especially his home at Ville d’Avray, Chaville is one of a number of villages situated among gently wooded scenery which inspired Corot. These areas played a fundamental role in shaping his artistic vision of nature as a gentle and tranquil subject, in contrast to the turbulent Romanticism of his contemporary Théodore Rousseau, for example, who displayed a fascination for the wild and thickly wooded forest around the village of Barbizon. Chaville itself is explicitly identified as the subject of a small number of oils, of which Le Petit-Chaville (Ashmolean, Oxford), executed much earlier circa 1823, and painted on paper is another example (fig. 1). 

Paul Eudel identified the present work as among the highlights of Théophile Bascle's collection upon the Bascle estate sale in Paris in 1883. Chaville, Le Matin au Printemps achieved one of the highest prices of the sale, second only to another landscape by Corot.